Bear in Heaven: southern sounds in northern lands

Greetings from the old country, folks. Have you noticed a soft retreat of that great American pastime we used to call southern rock? The steady flow of yester-year’s chatter and the twang of the howling moon is now plugged into the terrible web known as modern music. It’s not hard to be nostalgic when it counts; and it counts here folks, it really does.

Bear in Heaven’s latest album, “Beast Rest Forth Mouth” demonstrates the migration of the southern rock sound, north by northeast, in the biggest geographical story of the decade. The indie-harvests have long left the late-greats of the southern scene wading in the fields, wishing for a better day. As the title foretells, direction has gone awry. There may have been a retreat, but it’s only in sound; not in spirit. Bear in Heaven is armed with an arsenal of textures, yet its still got that southern twang.

Bear in Heaven seems to be part of an indie folk sensibility, which interprets space and vistas with the type of awe and amazement only seen in its ancestors. Replacing the sober story telling of its immediate predecessors, bands like Hush Arbors and Fleet Foxes, connect nostalgia and melody on a vast plane of musical gesture.

Consider the opening track “Beast in Peace;” it feels enormous, sonic, graspable and rhythmic. Jon Philpot cries, “Thunder is expanding and rain will wear you down.” Similar to bolts of lighting, his voice is besigned by the booming rawness of everything around him-drums and guitars, yes; but also a mythical unleashing.

Much of the record, however, is a reversal of roles. Take the rolling “Lovesick Teenagers,” which oscillates between solemn fate and evanescence of young romance. On “Casual Goodbye” Philpot’s voice sounds just as otherworldly as David Daniell’s heartless riffs.

Hailing from Georgia and Alabama, Bear in Heaven does just enough to remind you that it still has a place in its heart for rock anthems. Because that’s exactly what these condensed pop songs are-anthems that streak, stretch and carry on far past the running time. And it really counts here folks. It really does.

Grade: B

Download (don’t steal): “Beast in Peace” by Bear in Heaven