Bear Colony dropped their second release, Soft Eyes, on Nov. 12. “We Don’t Know Harm I” sets the stage for the soundscape of this record. The opening cut is slow with vocals and a tone that puts the listener into a lull. The style overall is reminiscent of a more muted tune by MGMT, meaning that there are ambient elements and low, underdone vocal parts. The Little Rock, AR-based group are an indie rock bunch that is constantly shifting members for a one-of-a-kind sound every time they get together.
“A Ladder To The Clouds” is an electronic, percussion infused conjoining piece of instrumental music that transitions into “Bad Blood.” During this next number, the pace of the instruments are quickened, incorporating a simple piano component, but the singing remains slow and steady. At the end of the track, the vocalist, for the first and last time, is projecting his voice in competition with the excitable guitars. Soft Eyes seems to have a continuous dreamy feel throughout its length, never becoming loud enough to disturb. One of the first singles off of this album is called “Flask Retort,” a song with a catchy chorus, electronic sections, and a rock-oriented guitar solo.
Beginning with an electro introduction of beats, “Lights On The Domestic” is an interesting track, made up of other-worldly manufactured sounds, with the same poetic lyrics that seem to dominate the songs on this record. “We Don’t Know Harm II” is easily the most enjoyable cut on this album. The number is well-written with a memorable melody and song structure. What the band is going for on Soft Eyes appears at first to be appealing but after a few songs, the monotony wears on the listener that was waiting for the surprise that never comes.
In A Word: Matte
