Polar Bear: Same as You (CD on Leaf Label)

Band: Polar Bear
Label: Leaf Label
Title: Same as You

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Band:Polar Bear
Title:Same as You
Reviewed By:Maarten Schiethart
Date Published:18/04/2015

Label:Leaf Label
Format:CD
Release Year:2015
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The surprise start to the new Polar Bear album comes from Asar Mikael, the owner of Jamaican cultural institution The Light Shop in Tottenham, which is where band leader Sebastian Rochford also comes from. His spoken word wisdom on opening track 'Life Love and Light' paves the way for this exercise in freewheeling jazz funk.

Almost straight from the beginning, Polar Bear create an unwitnessed and introverted freeform of tender fragility. Polar Bear are adept at ambitious new folk and avant garde, melting tenderness and grooves with magical ease after years of teasing the ear. Soothingly disturbing and exhilirating in equal measure, they are of similar effect and listening pleasure to me as the Chicago Underground albums which I championed about a decade ago.

Jazzy finesses set the tone. Humble breezes and snappy percussion build up this one hour, six track session. Its merit remains deeply soulful thanks to an introverted calm and warmth. The level in experiment never shies off from the gentle steady little pushes and beats heard that can be heard from the onset. Eerie as jazz funk sometimes can be, 'Same As You' has many moments of merry disorientation. Quasi field recordings, slightly tricky electronica and minimalistic keyboard touches are a more than welcome addition. The saxophone though acts as a prime mover.

'Of Hi Lands' marks the finest amongst the many, many highlights. Castanets engaged in a battle with a fiddler produce a rhythm you may not have heard before, in your lifetime. So subtle and ever so gentle, this album is a great adventure.

Track Listing:

01) Life Love and Light
02) We Feel the Echoes
03) The First Steps
04) Of Hi Lands
05) Dont Let the Feeling Go
06) Unrelenting Unconditional

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Related Links

http://polarbearmusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.polarbearmusic.com/
https://soundcloud.com/polar-bear-music
https://twitter.com/polarbear_uk
https://www.facebook.com/sebastianrochford

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Disorientating butinnovative sixth album from jazz experimentalists Polar Bear, which is soothingly disturbing and exhilirating in equal measure

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Same as You - CD
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