Grizzly Bear Makes Music for a Worried World on “Painted Ruins”

Grizzly Bear
Painted Ruins (RCA Records)

The longstanding indie darlings break new ground on a sensational, dynamic major label debut effort. Emerging from Brooklyn in the early aughts, the quartet (fronted by openly gay vocalist Ed Droste) has slowly but surely built a cult following over the last fifteen years. Painted Ruins captures them exploring a post-Trump world filled with anxiety, uncertainty and confusion. Grizzly Bear’s multi-instrumentalist Daniel Rossen explains the album’s concept: “It’s the idea of dressing up something that’s falling apart and making something out of a situation that’s crumbling.” He adds, “in a way that’s how a lot of this music came together. Some of it was a pastiche, and it found its way into a cohesive form.” Highlights include the Radioheadesque “Morning Sound” and the otherworldly single, “Three Rings.” Follow Grizzly Bear on Facebook @grizzlybear.