Release Date: January 18, 2012
Bears are quickly becoming the new wolf or deer: a stock “indie animal” that can be awkwardly forced into any band name (Grizzly Bear, Panda Bear, Minus the Bear, Boy & Bear, Sea Bear, etc.) to make it sound generically quirky. So, when the name Message to Bears comes up, you would be forgiven for immediately assuming it to be the name of a cute, if forgettable, folk-pop group. Luckily, nothing could be further from the truth: Message to Bears, solo recording project of multi-instrumentalist Jerome Alexander, is something much more interesting, and his newest album, Folding Leaves, is something really special.
If pressed to assign the album to a concrete genre, Folding Leaves could perhaps be described as “ambient chamber folk” with its syncopated trip-hop-inspired drums. Admittedly, this sounds a little ridiculous, but it’s a really interesting mixture of very different musical elements and one that plays out in a surprisingly natural way.
The album refuses to confine itself to traditional structure and instead opts to make expansive, freeing soundscapes that grow and breathe. Most of the songs on the album go well past the four-minute mark and benefit greatly from that extra time. It’s time spent slowly building, climaxing and fading out with an almost effortless grace.
Vocals are sparse and haunting, usually hiding behind the pull of strings on a violin or the strum of an acoustic guitar. It’s all very peaceful, relaxed and frankly, quite beautiful.
Every song on the nine-track album is worth a listen, but special mention must be given to one of the later tracks, “At a Glance.” It builds quickly into a subdued chant accompanied by a horde of backing instruments that dramatically drop out about halfway through, transforming an open, voluminous song into a very small and personal one. It’s a dynamic change that takes listeners by surprise—a powerful and deeply emotional moment.
Other great tracks include “Bird’s Tail,” which slowly swells from humble beginnings into a epic sprawl of ghostly strings and pounding drums. “Wake Me,” a song backed by a looped recording of a distant bird call, subtly plays with the greater song’s tempo but also gives the already very rustic, acoustic guitar-driven song a natural setting, a sort of place and atmosphere. It’s a rare example of sampling being used in a very organic way, and it’s really done well here.
Honestly though, every track here is a winner, and the album works best as a complete whole, perfectly delivering the listener from one track to the next.
Message to Bears could not have picked a more accurate name for this album, because Folding Leaves is just that: a dense, multilayered, organic experience. The tuning of the guitar, the timbre of the violins, the haunting vocals, the upbeat drums, the sampled wilderness; everything on this album blends together seamlessly and effortlessly. It’s a rare experience and one that everyone should at least try out. This is the sound of a big world made intimate.
Message to Bears – Folding Leaves tracklist:
- “Daylight Goodbye”
- “Wake Me”
- “Mountains”
- “Bird’s Tail”
- “Farewell, Stars”
- “Undone”
- “At a Glance”
- “Everything Was Covered in Snow”
- “Unleft”
