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| Polar Bear Club - Sometimes Things Just DisappearReviewed by: llmp (01/03/08) | Polar Bear Club - Sometimes Things Just Disappear
Records Label: Red Leader Records
Release Date: March 11, 2008
After the long drive home from my parents' house on Christmas night, I arrived home to discover a package lying on my bed. This was odd, as I was fairly certain I had been the last person in the house since I had left a week ago. To my surprise and delight I discovered it to be Sometimes Things Just Disappear by Polar Bear Club. This is an album I had been looking forward to since having been lucky enough to stumble upon their EP The Redder, The Better last year. I was initially disappointed when I learned this would not be released until March. Fortunately for me, Red Leader Records was nice enough to ship some CDs out early to people who pre-ordered the album. So, eschewing the miscellaneous presents I had acquired that day, I eagerly slipped the CD into my stereo.
Unfortunately I have never had the chance to see Polar Bear Club live. However, the general consensus seems to be they are quite good. This does not surprise me. Polar Bear Club play a type of music that translates well from album to live. That is, they don’t rely on over-polished vocals or other neat studio tricks to make their music great. It’s their passion for what they’re doing that does it, most prevalent through every note sung by vocalist Jimmy Stadt. Stadt has the kind of gravelly-voiced delivery that will garner them constant comparisons to the likes of Hot Water Music and Gunmoll.
Make no mistake though; Polar Bear Club have no problem distinguishing themselves from among their peers. This is, in no small part, due to the aforementioned delivery by Stadt. It is also thanks to the band’s ability to smoothly transition from slow and pondering to fast and intense. The lyrics are top-notch as well. They tackle issues such as missed opportunities and gender segregation in a story-telling approach that might otherwise seem trite in less capable hands but are pulled off beautifully by Polar Bear Club. More importantly, they are able to pull it off song after song, making for a very solid listen. This is immediately apparent as the album opens with “Eat Dinner, Bury the Dog, and Run.” Musically it starts off slow and gives off a kind of melancholy vibe until the fiery vocals ignite the song about forty seconds in. They continue to alternate between the two feelings throughout the song. This suits the lyrics perfectly as Stadt sings, “Walked in through my back door like a bull through bed sheets / There were flowers on the floor / Went from bull to weak in the knees.” This type of cohesion between music, vocals, and lyrics is something Polar Bear Club seems to have mastered in their short time as a band.
The first few songs on the album are exactly what are expected from the band after their previous releases. Then track four, “Another Night in the Rock”, begins and old fans of Polar Bear Club are thrown for a loop. This is and the following two songs “Burned Out in a Jar” and “As ‘Twere the Mirror” are easily the most mainstream-friendly songs Polar Bear Club have recorded. Stadt is at his most melodic and almost even seems like he is not angry and depressed. Almost being the key word. I can see some people taking issue with the catchier nature of these two songs. However, they actually work great as a break from the intensity of the previous songs. With “Tried” Polar Bear Club return to what they are known best for, which continues until the closer “Convinced I’m Wrong.” As is the case with most closers, “Convinced I’m Wrong” is the slowest song on the album. Often these tend to be dull and easily forgotten. This, sadly, seems to be the case with this song. That is, until Stadt let’s off an anguished cry of, “Don’t go / Tonight I’m looking for salt in a snow globe / ‘Cause what I had is slipping fast.” The song continues to build up until its end and gives off an epic feel that is perfectly suited for the close of a great album.
Now, after gushing over this album over five paragraphs I feel it important to note there is only one other album released this year I would put on the same level as this one - Sink or Swim by The Gaslight Anthem. Sometimes Things Just Disappear is not an album that comes along often. It would have been easy to be disappointed after the stellar The Redder, The Better which I still constantly play to this day, a year later. Polar Bear Club are able to combine an intense passion in every aspect of their band with great musicianship. I’m not sure what more could be asked from a band. |
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Displaying posts 1 - 15 of 28. |
02:41 AM on 01/06/08 | for someone who's never heard of this band, you gotta let us know what kind of music this is exactly. You talk about "their peers" but who are they exactly | | |
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05:46 AM on 01/06/08 | Hot Water Music were mentioned as one of their peers and that's a good enough incentive for me to listen to this band!! | | |
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06:01 AM on 01/06/08 | Ok just listened to the songs on their myspace page ( http://www.myspace.com/polarbearclub)
Loved every song and will definitely be ordering the album sometime before march.
Thanks for reviewing this CD! | | |
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09:40 AM on 01/06/08 | Originally Posted by lilRIPsta for someone who's never heard of this band, you gotta let us know what kind of music this is exactly. You talk about "their peers" but who are they exactly |
Hot Water Music and Gunmoll are two bands I referenced in my review (As well as The Gaslight Anthem but that's more indirect, they are somewhat similar though).
I appreciate the tone of your criticism, however.
Originally Posted by EadonjOk just listened to the songs on their myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/polarbearclub)
Loved every song and will definitely be ordering the album sometime before march.
Thanks for reviewing this CD! |
 I'm glad my review helped you find a new band. Especially this one. | | |
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09:58 AM on 01/06/08 | Awesome band and great review. | | |
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06:53 PM on 01/06/08 | i went to one of their cd releases in syracuse on friday, and i was lucky enough to pick up the album for $5, and i have been listening to it nonstop ever since.
they are a great live band, and their music just has this incredible energy.
great review. | | |
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10:39 AM on 01/07/08 | cool review
This band is definitely amazing live! really passionate sets. you can check out a review/some photos of one here.
Hot Water music is definitely a spot on comparison, but this band definitely reminds me of Small Brown Bike in so many ways. One of the new tracks "Heart Attack At Thirty" also gives me a Bad Religion vibe at times. | | |
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12:44 PM on 01/07/08 | Originally Posted by billl
Hot Water music is definitely a spot on comparison, but this band definitely reminds me of Small Brown Bike in so many ways. One of the new tracks "Heart Attack At Thirty" also gives me a Bad Religion vibe at times. |
You know, that comparison never occured to me. But now that I think of it they really are very similar.
Originally Posted by laurenelizabethi went to one of their cd releases in syracuse on friday, and i was lucky enough to pick up the album for $5, and i have been listening to it nonstop ever since.
they are a great live band, and their music just has this incredible energy.
great review. |
Thanks. And I'm very jealous!
Originally Posted by Steve16Awesome band and great review. |
You have a very impressive favorite bands list, I just discovered Milloy. Good band. Was thinking about reviewing their album. | | |
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02:43 PM on 01/07/08 | Originally Posted by llmpYou have a very impressive favorite bands list, I just discovered Milloy. Good band. Was thinking about reviewing their album. |
If you like their album check out their split with Billy No Mates (ex Snuff) as that's amazing and Billy No Mates are good too. | | |
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03:44 PM on 01/09/08 | WAYYY too high.
And I'm a fan boy. | | |
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04:33 PM on 01/09/08 | Originally Posted by tm decomposerWAYYY too high.
And I'm a fan boy. |
 Why would a fan boy besmirch a band's high rating? Does it really matter that much to you? I put many hours into the review and spent about two seconds on the rating. At least throw in a "but hey, inane numerical values aside, everyone should check out the album!" if you like the band...
I also just realized I'm referencing "this year" in the review and it was posted in 08. Doh. | | |
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05:46 PM on 01/09/08 | Originally Posted by llmp Why would a fan boy besmirch a band's high rating? Does it really matter that much to you? I put many hours into the review and spent about two seconds on the rating. At least throw in a "but hey, inane numerical values aside, everyone should check out the album!" if you like the band...
I also just realized I'm referencing "this year" in the review and it was posted in 08. Doh. |
"but hey, inane numerical values aside, everyone should check out the album!" if you like the band... | | |
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