aaamusic | On 11, Dec 2011

 

With a name like Bear Cavalry, I guess this band could only really sound the way they do: heavy on the sunny pop melodies, the fussy ‘indie rock’ instrumentation, all grounded by rather morose lyrics.

‘Roman Summer’ is all of the above, an opening track full of sunshine hooks, fidgety percussion, pseudo disco basslines, and vocals equal parts Queen and generic indie pop. Harmonised guitars are spread liberally throughout, and sometimes the chemistry pops and other times it just feels like too much all trying to happen at once. ‘Custom Hands’ too suffers this, with flamenco-funk guitars and that “tribal” percussion played on a rock drumkit that was absolutely massive earlier this year. Parts of the track hit a Latin flavour, the singalong group vocal chant confuses the entire World Music section of a record shop, other parts just feel like Radio 1’s latest buzz band, and although the mixing job is excellent in not loosing a single piece if the sound, there is a sense here again that too much is going on.

In comparison, ‘Will Smith Solves The Rubik’s Cube’ is a surprisingly sober ballad with galloping rhythms like Tu Fawning, an almost nerdily precise “math-rock” guitar line, and a slowed-down melancholy mood that adds a variation in comparison to the other tracks but with the inclusion of heavy chorus pedals and a horn section all at once still doesn’t quite form a coherent whole and eventually descends into mild tedium despite itself.

To finish is the surreal 8-bit synth/horn section track ‘Dragon’s Milk pt II’. The title makes about as much sense as the song itself, equal parts simple easygoing pop and the uphill struggle that accompanies a 15-year-old’s MIDI projects, as Bear Cavalry seem intent on using every sound they keyboard can make within five minutes. The lullaby style slow break creates a rather nice Queen-esque moment, but it is drowned out by a neon synth/guitar/vocals/everything and the kitchen sink cascade towards the end that just builds and builds without really having any sense of purpose.

There is chirpy, there is twee, there is pop, there is enthusiastic, and complex and intricate and catchy and zany… Bear Cavalry seem to be attempting all and more on ‘Maple Trails’ and unfortunately the result feels to me to be an anodyne, claustrophobic, oddly soulless and ultimately irritating experience. It might just be my lack of humour on a Wednesday afternoon, but this EP just reminds me of trying to understand my younger brothers when they spend too long on the computer eating Starburst.

Author: Katie H-Halinski