MP3: Bear Colony – “Flask Retort”

October 12, 2012 4 comments

One of the perks of being me is that I get to shamelessly plug the two or three artists I would never abandon, even if they spoiled the end of Breaking Bad for me.

Little Rock-based Bear Colony is one such band.

My love for Bear Colony runs deep, and is rooted somewhere back in my freshman year of college, when a fairly miserable roommate experienced forced me to adopt headphones like some sort of vital sign-supporting breathing apparatus.  Music was as necessary as air.  Bear Colony was my coping mechanism.  Their first album, We Came Here to Die, kept me afloat.  That flotation has carried well past 2006, and certainly into the MJF domain.

And now, Bear Colony is following up on their freshman effort with their sophomore debut—Soft Eyes—which will be released on November 13.

Here’s a look at the first single (“Flask Retort”) off that album, courtesy We All Want Someone to Shout For.

Bear Colony – Flask Retort

It’s certainly a different sound than we’ve heard before from Vince Griffin and company, though still certainly rooted in the same sense of electronic wonder that has permeated their trademark vibe.  It’s 80s-style ambience mixed with bleeps, bloops and a hint of guitar riff.  Looping, overlapping vocals are gorgeous here, and build well throughout the length of the track.

Any band that can release a freaking EP as good as Tiny Anthems has my full attention, and this feels like as good a start as any, with a definite shift in sound but still enough familiarity to remind fans who’s in charge of this headphone supernova.  Soft Eyes has been my most anticipated album of the last…well, ever, and I’ll be the first to press play when the album goes live in just over a month’s time.