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It must be coincidence that at the same time as Wychwood Festival announce their line up for 2010 (see HERE) the best two bands at 2008 both release their new albums; Tunng with …And Then We Saw Land (review coming HERE soon) and Polar Bear.

The link with both Tunng and Polar Bear was that post-folk and post-jazz at that both incorporated elements of electronica into their music. In Polar Bear’s case, it is Leafcutter John (long time electronic whiz and inventor of the Wrongamin) who shows on the new album that he’s as good on the guitar (and mandolin and accordion) as he is with his synths, sampler and other assorted gadgets.

And whilst on the subject of Leaf, this is their fourth album (the first two being on the Babel, this is their first album for a couple of years and their debut on The Leaf Label (but nothing like Murcof or Sutekh).

The band’s line-up remains the same, in addition to Rochford (drums) and John (electronics, guitar) there’s the double tenor sax act of Pete Wareham (Acoustic Ladyland) and Mark Lockheart (ex-Loose Tubes) and excellent double bassist Tom Herbert (ex-Acoustic Ladyland, Finn Peters, and the 2009 Mercury prize nominees The Invisible).

The opener ‘Happy For You’ is like a bigger band Acoustic Ladyland (in which Rochford is also on drums) and like most of the album, they’ve managed to record their ‘live’ sound vibrancy (see Vortex review HERE); notably on ‘Drunken Pharaoh’ and the dream-like ‘The Love Didn’t Go Anywhere’ (is this outstanding?)

All but two of the tracks are written by Rochford (the two interludes) but he doesn’t dominate proceedings, perhaps being most percussive on another downtempo grower ‘A New Morning Will Come’. And Leafcutter John features heavily on two of the best tracks, the Middle Eastern influenced dirge of ‘Finding Our Feat’ and on guitar on ‘All Here’ that’s emotionally like a jazz version of Elvis Costello’s ‘Shipbuilding’; all three are fine examples of modern modal.

Much like the Stonephace album released this time last year, I’m reminded of Soft Machine but this Polar Bear has teeth and is just as likely to bite you on the bum like with ‘Hope Every Day Is A Happy New Year’ and the rather odd concoction of reggae-soul-jazz of the title track.

The album launch was at London’s The Garage (on 2nd March) but hopefully there will be a tour as these guys are great live and Peepers is the best album yet.

Reviewed: Polar Bear - Peepers (The Leaf Label) Cat. No: BAY 74CD Release date: 1st March 2010
Tracklisting:
1 Happy For You (4:09)
2 Bap Bap Bap (2:12)
3 Drunken Pharaoh (3:26)
4 The Love Didn’t Go Anywhere (6:57)
5 A New Morning Will Come (4:42)
6 Peepers (4:24)
7 Bump (0:38)
8 Scream (0:36)
9 Hope Every Day Is A Happy New Year (4:08)
10 Want To Believe Everything (4:36)
11 Finding Our Feet (6:38)
12 All Here (5:50)

Links:
polarbearmusic.com
myspace.com/sebastianrochford
theleaflabel.com/polarbear
leafcutterjohn.com
Welcome to Coney Island Polar Bear Club www.polarbearclub.org