Bears of Legend has got soul. The Trois-Rivières-based band produces fine folk pop songs that are full of emotions, full of spleen. Right from the start, with Be Mine, All Mine, we think of Travis’ greatest moments, mixed with a blend of Coldplay (for the feeling) and The Decemberists (from the strong folk approach). David Lavergne is a strong melodist. He has the ability to write songs that are immediately catchy, like The Arkansas River, that get under your skin the first time you listen to it. It’s easy to imagine large crowds at summer festivals singing the “la di da da dam” chorus, right before the accordion and banjo explosion, at the end of the song. The kind of song that brings emotions that are hidden deep down in one’s heart and makes them a burst of joy, relieving the suffering souls. Lavergne sings like a lover who could move mountains to bring back a lost princess (When I Saved You From the Sea). He has this passion in his voice, in his piano playing. Bears of Legend use a large spectrum of instruments to give a lot of beautiful colors to their music. In this respect, they sound a bit like popular bands Bastille or Imagine Dragons. But the sensibility that Lavergne expresses on almost every track brings him closer to artists like Villagers (Challenge Me). The band consists of Claudine Roy on piano, Francis Perron on drums, Jacynthe P. Morand on accordion, Chrystelle Chartray on cello, Guillaume Grenier at the guitar and Jean-François Grenier on bass. Here are a few songs, live or in studio. Et, surprise, une chanson entièrement en français se pointe au beau milieu de ce disque pourtant très anglo-saxon! Encore est une jolie ballade très sensible, un peu pop, définitivement accessible aux masses qui vont facilement l’adopter. I always listen to albums we receive at RREVERB without reading any info about the band (when I don’t know the band, obviously). I was amazed* to discover that Bears of Legend were a local band from Trois-Rivières when reading about them at the Montreal Jazz Fest since they sound like an American band. Most of “Ghostwritten Chronicles” (their 2nd album, they also issued an EP), songs are very strong. It’s a very good and inspired folk pop album we have here, from a very good band that should reach and touch many souls. Longue vie à Bears of Legend! BEARS OF LEGEND Ghostwritten Chronicles (independent, 2015) -Genre: passionate folk pop -In the same style than Travis, The Decemberists, Villagers, Coldplay Follow the band via their Facebook page Listen to videos on the band’s YouTube channel Buy the album directly from the band on their BandCamp page *ps: I’m not saying local bands are bad, or not as good as American bands. I’m just saying this band sounds like its coming from deep USA country, not from Trois-Rivières. Réagissez à cet article / Comment this article commentaires / comments
