Play 90 second soundbite of 'A Thousand Samurais' @ 'CD quality'
Bear Driver's Myspace page suggests they do 'folk/electronica/pop' - their press pack tells of 'psych-pop' - I don't think either actually tell the whole story although both kinda get somewhere close!! Bear Driver certainly don't take the, all too familiar, 'indie' route, they kinda experiment with sound and mood, they utilise some of the more unusual instruments to make the magical noise, they work superbly with layers, apply reverse fills, add the unusual, dabble with the less obvious - the end result is very modern sounding product that borders on ambient rock but clearly has its roots in commercial pop.
Bear Driver (Harry, Oli, Cassie and Joe) have a sort of playful impishness about them that suggests they really enjoy their time together and their collective creativity - they deliver a sound that's somewhat experimental but still has commercial viability - a signature sound that'll stand them in good stead as they cast their creative net further afield and gain new friends and supporters.
'Paws And Claws' by Bear Driver is a three track EP comprising 'A Thousand Samurais', 'No Time To Speak' and 'Ada Rose'; three glorious songs that are kinda surprisingly up-lifting and offer loads of gently persuasive hooks that are hard to deny no matter which side of the genre fence you prefer to sit. Bear Driver occasionally resemble Talking Heads and they can sound a bit like Bell X1 whilst all the time retaining complete originality and artistic individuality. 'Paws And Claws' is a superbly assembled 'sampler' of more many more quality things to come from Bear Driver - of that I'm absolutely positive!
This brilliant EP is completely home-made having been recorded in various bedrooms and therefore, I guess, using limited resources - you wouldn't know it though, Bear Driver have done an excellent job and clearly understand what's required and how to achieve an uncluttered but dynamically rich sound. Some of the, so called, professional studios would be hard-pressed to deliver this quality of recording - I'm very impressed!! Bear Driver sound like a band with a massive future and I really look forward to hearing a lot more from this excellent outfit - brilliant songs, crackin' musicianship, very impressive EP, fanfuckintastic!!
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