In Bearhunter's bio, they mention that, "they began writing music that extracts the most appealing elements of rock history without being over indicative." It's a pet peeve of mine when bands try to mimic music from decades past, so I have to hand it to Bearhunter. This is exactly where they excel. I can tell these guys have been influenced by bands like Pavement and Smashing Pumpkins (those are more accurate comparisons), but not one song on this album sounds like it belongs in a historical archive somewhere. The album opener, "Chugger," is an excellent example of this. Bearhunter sounds like an eclectic mix of several genres, blending jazzy chords and bluesy indie rock, and when they take a step outside of the box, it's always warranted - the octave-shifted clean guitar part in "Chugger" is killer.
Bearhunter strikes me as the kind of band who would normally set up a few microphones in their garage and let it rip; however they have benefited from a nice studio treatment. What makes Call It A Red so refreshing is the fact that there very rarely is any backing guitar or any lush, layered tracks to "fill in the empty spots" on this album. That doesn't mean they don't have a little fun - some of the vocal harmonies on this album are killer. But for instance, "Happier than You" takes a few chords and some wistful vocals and turns it into one of the catchier moments on the album: "Shouldn't it be true? I should be happier than you."
Bearhunter explores a lot of territory on Call It A Red, including the Jack Johnson-esque "Worry." Honestly, if someone compared my band to Jack Johnson, I'd be really pissed off. But, I promise that I make this comparison with the best possible intentions. Not only is there a bit of JJ in the vocals, but "Worry" has that laid-back beachy vibe. I'm not sure Jack Johnson would drop the f-bomb in his songs either, but neither would he tear into a huge guitar solo in the middle of one of his songs about banana pancakes. One thing I had to chuckle about though, no matter how slow the song, for example the slow and pretty "Letters," is the fact that Bearhunter manages to launch into some sort of fuzz-laden freakout. I guess what I'm trying to say is Bearhunter explored some territory outside of their comfort zone and I really enjoyed it.
But for every song Bearhunter steps away from their roots, there is another to reel them back in. "Fuzz Box Freak" is as anthemic as they come, with a climactic "I'M WASTED" chant at the end... or it could be "I'M WASTIN'..." Either way it ruled. This song is followed by the bluesy, riffy rager "Set Off The Alarms." This song is a perfect example of the algorithm behind Bearhunter. Somehow, these musicians are able to start and stop, push and pull, and wax and wane during every song. They could be blasting a fuzz solo one second and hovering just above ground at barely audible whispers the next... And when it comes down to it, it all just translates into really good rock and roll.
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