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There was a time when this city shined

The lights in the parking lots would lead us through the night and to sunrise

There was no place that we didn't own or deface

The grooves in the road would spark for us but that memory will rust

#polar bear club #light of local eyes #chasing Hamburg

Living Saints - Polar Bear Club

#Chasing Hamburg #Polar Bear Club #Living Saints

Polar Bear Club - "Drifting Thing"

#Polar Bear Club #PBC #Drifting Thing #Chasing Hamburg

Polar Bear Club - Death Chorus

Rise Records/11.19.13

8.4/10

by Aaron Mook

People have been, and always will be, resistant to change. Often times, they crave the safety of the familiar, and when it comes to Polar Bear Club’s fourth LP, Death Chorus, that fact of life became obvious almost immediately. Reactions to first-released song and opening track “Blood Balloon” appeared mixed at best, with many resenting the well-known change in vocals of frontman Jimmy Stadt. Others observed a fresher, even reinvigorated sound from the band after a large line-up change and mixed reception of their previous two outings, which is how we find Polar Bear Club throughout the duration of Death Chorus- energized, organized, and bigger than ever.

Starting with the most apparent difference, Stadt’s vocal delivery hasn’t so much changed as it has evolved and inverted itself from the Hot Water Music-esque gruff it’s been known for. Where completely screamed songs once bled and blended into each other, a clear singing voice becomes a pleasant (albeit slightly nasally) surprise that helps to define and streamline each cut as its own, most obvious in highlight “For Show”. Stadt hits the higher notes with just as much aggression as ever, while incorporating it into one of the catchiest and well-written choruses of the year. Musically, the new line-up seems to be taking cues from the band’s yet-unmatched debut, Sometimes Things Just Disappear, with each guitar sounding massive against tight-knit bass and percussion throughout songs like “When We Were College Kids” and “Graph Paper Glory Days”. The latter flows with the youthful vibe that’s been a staple of the band’s career, boasting one of the biggest hooks the band has ever written and even including a mini-guitar solo of sorts. This is far from the sound of selling out; if anything, it’s the sound of cashing in on years of experience.

The only time we witness the band really falter throughout Death Chorus is in the expected ballad “Siouxsie Jeanne”, which sticks to a forgettable formula in comparison to the rest of the album. Located almost at the exact halfway point, the song isn’t so much bad as it is a dip in momentum that’s been building since we first experienced another unforgettable opener in “Blood Balloon”. Luckily, “Siouxsie Jeanne” is followed by one of the most stellar songs ever written by the band, “WLWYCD” (or “Why Live When You Can Die”). Here the group have struck pop-punk gold, integrating a brand new style with the classic over-the-top performance that fans have come to expect at live shows. It feels like uncharted territory for the band as they play with the quiet-loud formula over the words, “The moment comes and goes, but most the day is slow/Good, bad, or just getting worse/A sea of faceless murmurs/The crowd likes you like their kid brother”. It’s the best transition for a band showing off everything we’ve come to love about Polar Bear Club, and expanding on it by turning expectations completely on their head.

Perhaps the biggest parallel between the band’s debut and Death Chorus is found in the grand finale, “Upstate Mosquito”. While it may lack absolutely gut-wrenching emotional punch that helped launch “Convinced I’m Wrong” to fan-favorite status, it succeeds in terms of wit and pure adrenaline rush, the two major components that seem to fuel most of Death Chorus. “I heard you saying ‘No Regrets’ and I wondered if you knew/When you got it tattooed on you, it’d hurt more to get removed,” Stadt snidely remarks before an explosive chorus that boasts, “And I see myself as the upstate mosquito/Who will probably die trying to bit through jeans/Thinking back on my favorite regrets/All failed attempts at dying/Dying for dead dreams”. They’re the words of a band who want you to know that they’ve made a record not only for the die-hards, but for themselves, and while some may remain resistant to that progression, Polar Bear Club isn’t going to regret a single second of it.

Gone is the 60% killer, 40% filler ideal that plagued Chasing Hamburg and Clash Battle Guilt Pride; instead in its place, we find the refined sound of an experienced group with the youthful energy we’ve only caught glimpses of since the promising debut of Sometimes Things Just Disappear. While Death Chorus may lack much of a lyrical ark or groundbreaking musical evolution, what it does provide is something many records fail to succeed with as a sole basis- style and fun. It’s a collection of ten pop-punk songs, executed better than almost anyone we’ve heard from this year and with just enough piqued aggression to help pull in listeners that may still be convinced the band is wrong. Death Chorus contains some of the freshest sounds to be delivered through Rise Records as of late, with Polar Bear Club dominating a genre best covered by The Wonder Years until now. And while many are sure to be swayed in one direction or the other by any number of samples they may have heard prior to release, a closer listen to Death Chorus will reveal the strengths and conviction of a group far from singing anything resembling a swan song.

Key tracks: “For Show”, “WLWYCD”, “When We Were College Kids”

For fans of: The Wonder Years, Saves the Day, Transit