Bear vs. Shark
Right Now, You’re in the Best of Hands…
Equal Vision, 2003
Or, to give the album its full title: Right Now, You’re in the Best of Hands. And If Something Isn’t Quite Right, Your Doctor Will Know in a Hurry. Quite the mouthful, and probably a name that the band – formed in 2001, disbanded four years later – soon became sick of explaining. Wikipedia says: “The name of the album is derived from a sign that singer Marc Paffi saw and thought was interesting.” He couldn’t have been intrigued by a sign saying “keep left”, or “mind the gap”? But I digress: this, the Michigan band’s debut (a similarly strong second LP, Terrorhawk, followed in 2005), is one of the finest post-hardcore albums of its time – of any time, frankly. It’s got swing, it’s got style; it’s got brilliant breakdowns and lyrics that bend into all sorts of weird shapes. Much of it seems baffling. But that really doesn’t matter, so instantly is the listener swept up by the force of the players, by their precise musicianship that’s several steps away from those bludgeoning their way through hardcore tropes. It crams more originality into its 40-minute run-time than most supposedly clever-clogs rockers manage across an entire catalogue. Really, if you’ve ever been moved by guitar music that is both highly energetic and hugely individual, pick this up. Big Scary Monsters recently reissued it on limited-edition red vinyl – go get.
For fans of: Small Brown Bike, Joan of Arc, June of 44
Download: Buses/No Buses, Campfire, Don’t Tell the Horses the Stable’s On Fire, We Were Sad But Now We’re Rebuilding
Bear vs. Shark – Don’t Tell the Horses the Stable’s On Fire
Bear vs. Shark – Campfire
Posted by mikediver 
From Sinking 