Quick Take: Polar Bear

Reasons why you should give Polar Bear a shot: because it’s interesting music executed by talented (and interesting) players, and it’s not far off from what we hear in Richmond bands.

June 19, 2010; 11:00 AM • by Dean Christesen

Reasons why you should give Polar Bear a shot: because it’s interesting music executed by talented (and interesting) players, and it’s not far off from what we hear in Richmond bands. Things like the use of different types of music that don’t stop at jazz’s outliers; compositions that start as the vision of the composer and become the voice of an ensemble; rock beats, dance beats, all kinds of beats.

Listen to “Happy For You”:
[audio:
http://rvanews.net/sounds/Jazz/01%20Happy%20For%20You.mp3|titles=Happy For You|artists=Polar Bear]

Check out the first track, “Happy For You,” of the London-based band’s new album, Peepers. In a galaxy far away, this is pop music. Sure, the same outrageous claim could be true about any music. But this tune — as well as others like the onomatopoeic and reggae infused “Bap Bap Bap” — has all the ingredients for people to love it, except with the inventiveness and originality that consumers tend to avoid at all costs.

Purchase Polar Bear’s Peepers on Amazon, on iTunes