Polar Bear - Same As You (2015)

2015 release by the indie band, the follow-up to 2014's Mercury Prize shortlisted In Each And Every One. Given its short gestation, it is striking how far removed the new album is from its immediate predecessor. There is a startling freshness in the songs, both thematically and sonically. After the dark complexity of recent output, Same As You is presented in sharp focus, as inclusive and accessible as the title suggests, while still maintaining the playful experimentation on which the band has made its name. Driven by a renewed vitality, bandleader Sebastian Rochford has made several bold artistic moves with this new music. Originally conceived as a single long-form piece, Same As You employs a constant tempo on top of which the band builds swells of raw, joyous, often life-enhancing energy. the vocal performances and the heartfelt, spiritual lyrics of Same As You are an inspired addition to the rich instrumental line-up. A highlight of Polar Bear's second album, 2005's critically acclaimed Held On The Tips Of Fingers was "Life That Ends Too Soon," an intense, heartfelt lament. Same As You stands as something of an optimistic rejoinder to that song-a celebration and embrace of love as a great guiding force within a setting of mature musical invention.