Meet the Bears of Blue River [stream]

You know that happy place you used to frequent as a child? It was secretive, at least in your head, and sublime. You’d go there as often as you could and stay longer than you should. Your happy place was shared only with the dearest of confidants and, upon leading them to it, you felt projected excitement and empathic joy as they became initiated into your zone of happiness. I still have those places as an adult. The Bears of Blue River is one of them.

I’ve seen them described as “freak folk”, and I’d say that’s a fairly accurate description. Their sound is all-American meets off-kilter meets doo-wop, containing harmonies and hooks aplenty, while lead vocalists (a guy and a girl) alternate, sometimes teasing back and forth, within the same song. Immensely melodic and fun, their recent work has begun to incorporate a bit more distortion. The result is an even stronger pop statement, although they’re still explicitly folk. The Bears of Blue River released a sweet little 7” in September, and the pair of songs both showcases the band’s slight evolution and unmasks their plans to rule the folk pop world. The 7” records were designed to look like hot pink bubblegum got squished in with the pressings. Cute, quirky and original, these records are basically a physical manifestation of why I love this band.

I believe happy places are meant to be shared, so go ahead and press play. Welcome. I think you’re going to like it here.