Album: Shipwrecking EP
Artist: 85 Bears
Label: self-released
Release date: 15th June 2009
It’s been a busy year for 85 Bears. After a storming set at Hinterland in May, the east London trio are due to release their new Shipwrecking EP in mid-June.
From the very first listen, it is interesting to note that the band work as an exclusively instrumental outfit. As a man who enjoys his instrumental music (though mainly in the ambient and electronic arena), it seems almost odd for a rock band to opt in this direction within such a vocally-dominated field of music. At face value you might think that they are simply too proud to draft in a vocalist, until you start listening and realise that this is far from true.
In a world where music demands constant reinvention to be seen as “original”, the distinct lack of vocals stamps their music with the mark of originality, without the need to slap a cheap gimmick on it in order to make it stand out from the crowd. If anything, the absence of a voice only seems to make the band seem louder, perhaps even heavier than their contemporaries: you wouldn’t think, just from listening, that there are only three people in the band.
The highlight of the EP comes with “Jumpin’ with Joe from the Highest Step”, on which the band’s bright and optimistic start to the track quickly takes a much darker turn than previously heard, giving the song a twisted prog-rock feel.
Overall, Shipwrecking is a very dynamic set of tracks, fusing the raw fury and intensity of Reuben with the flair and bounce of Minus the Bear. All this without a vocal melody is a triumph in itself; to be honest, who needs ‘em?
Our Arbitrary Numerical Verdict:
The “Shipwrecking EP” is due for release on June 15th 2009. You can buy it from their MySpace.
Jamie Hewitt is a musician and producer based in Dundee. 
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