Album Review: Bear In Heaven – Time Is Over One Day Old
3 min read
If you’re looking for chilled out electronic rock, you’ve come to the right place. They’ve been in the music business for more than 10 years, but Boy In Heaven are still taking their music to new heights. It’s been a long time coming since 2012’s I Love You, It’s Cool, but this month the Brooklyn collective have released their fourth album, Time Is Over One Day Old. This album is somewhat a mixture between old and new; fans will be pleased with the familiar psychedelic synths and alt-rock, but they’ll also be hit with sensual mixes and experimental breakthroughs. As lead singer Jon Philpot puts it, “that’s all about we can do… make people feel something.”
Their sound sure is refreshing; they’ve explored all musical corners and have come back with a bit of each genre. It’s evident from the outset, with Autumn. We’ve got a mixture of alternative rock and trance; a stellar, upbeat backing track that sounds both ethereal and surreal. Philpot’s vocals are mild but you can tell he’s feeling it, and he’s backed by chirping birds and a glorious choir, turning the whole piece into a hymn-like symphony. Perhaps their music might make you feel a bit nostalgic as well; Time Between is quite reminiscent of 80’s rock and pop – the chilled out, groovier kind. Quite often you’ll find yourself in a trance-like state; it’s probably due to the groovy loops and Philpot’s monotone, as we get to hear in If I Were To Lie. Don’t be fooled with the danceable beats, however. Beneath the echoes of the electric guitars, Philpot is a melancholy lyrical genius, touching on heartbreak, suicide and personal pressures. Even when the songs sound quirky they conceal a darker message – such as Memory Heart, where against a tribal beat and strumming guitars, Philpot croons “it’s not easy with a hole where your heart was.”
More than once does the album veer into eerie, menacing territory. They Dream begins with a disorienting, wailing siren that gradually increases in persistence. It can be displacing at times, especially when Philpot also begins to increase in volume, mimicking the siren itself. The song isn’t any less glorious though, especially when it breaks into echoey harmonies, rapid drums and resonating synths. Then it drops back into a subdued trance, and the whole mood is heavenly and euphoric. Another point of of creativity is Dissolve The Walls. It’s a continuation from Way Off, which left us with a drawn out, haunting synth outro. Those synths eventually drown out the voice – closely resembling white noise – until the song literally feels like it’s dissolving and corroding in your ears.
Bear In Heaven are more than just an airy, dreamy band. At times you’ll find that you can really relate to the lyrics; put simply, Philpot is a modern-day pessimist. But it’s not the angsty, agitated stuff that gets you fired up. They’re opting for a more relaxed approach – yes, the world is messed up, so just let it go because nothing’s going to change. It’s carefree and personal, tragic yet euphoric… and it’ll hit you right in the heart.
