Polar Bear ClubAre you into Hot Water Music? What about The Casket Lottery? Well then, I'm sure you're already aware of this New York State post-hardcore band. Polar Bear Club take the angular, post-hardcore guitars of bands like Braid or Texas Is The Reason and coat them with the gruff yet melodic vocals of Hot Water Music, Small Brown Bike and The Casket Lottery. The one dynamic that sets them apart from all those aforementioned bands is the way PBC slow their pace down to that of an indie band rather than a hardcore group. These tracks are barn-burners...not barn-stormers.
Like most excellent post-hardcore records, this album took many spins to sink in to my thick skull. Repeated listens reveal the subtleness of these song structures. Each song is crafted like it's meant to be held on it's own as a short story. That is the sign of great songwriting. Not enough bands take the time to craft each song as a seperate entity. They write albums like they're checking off a grocery list. Do we have the catchy pop one? Check! What about the tough, bad-ass one that gets you jumping around in the pit? Check! Okay, we need to write a slow, ballad-like song to get all the girls into it, etc... Well, I'm sick of it! Who says punk, hardcore, etc... can't showcase excellent songwriters? Let's hope the buzz surrounding Polar Bear Club is a sign that the public wants more from their hardcore other than meatheads, Flock Of Seagulls haircuts, tight jeans and bad ninja dancing.
Rating: 4.5/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: 'Bug Parade', 'Convinced I'm Wrong' & 'Hollow Place'
Synopsis: The hype surrounding this band is pretty accurate. This debut full-length is more than worth your money. Take the time to first seek this band out, but more importantly...once you get the album, be sure to take the time to let this record sink in through repeated listens.