Bear in Heaven
Bear in Heaven, owing a heavy-hat tip to krautrock, sounds like Kraftwerk gone pop (in the best way). The Brooklyn band’s sophomore release, Beast Rest Forth Mouth, is futuristic by way of ’80s analog. It provides a package of ominous anthems with laser synths, glowing falsettos, and droning bass without drifting into nihilism. The album’s sprawling momentum seems to take the intensity of a buildup and drive it out for the duration of a track; it has a seamless urgency that’s more about the journey than the destination. Long Island quintet Twin Sister gives the bill a warm balance with a sound steeped in dreamy lo-fi textures, lush vocals and serotonin-inducing arrangements. (Additional cool points: Twin Sister’s songs are kept open-source online, giving fans a license to remix.)
