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Mostly Bears

Only Child

(Funzalo; US: 21 Aug 2007; UK: Available as import)

The six-song EP has two “f-ckless versions”, whatever the hell that means. And while the first song and title track comes off like Robert Plant doing a Morrissey song, Mostly Bears are mostly innocuous on this EP. There are some musical twists and turns here, but a song like “The Unassuming One” is a good example of a group coming close to hitting gold but not quite striking it. The end result is something that Ryan Adams might have tossed aside as a B-side as it once again presents a string of musical bends. Perhaps the one glimmer of light here is a great effort entitled “Leda Atomica” which brings to mind Arcade Fire in an unplugged setting. And “People’s Distinctive Travels” has more of that fine, delicate warble that definitely makes the music stronger.

Rating:

Originally from Cape Breton, MacNeil is currently writing for the Toronto Sun as well as other publications, including All Music Guide, Billboard.com, NME.com, Country Standard Time, Skope Magazine, Chart Magazine, Glide, Ft. Myers Magazine and Celtic Heritage. A graduate of the University of King's College, MacNeil currently resides in Toronto. He has interviewed hundreds of acts ranging from Metallica and AC/DC to Daniel Lanois and Smokey Robinson. MacNeil (modestly referred to as King J to friends), a diehard Philadelphia Flyers fan, has seen the Rolling Stones in a club setting, thereby knowing he will rest in peace at some point down the road. Oh, and he writes for PopMatters.com.


Tagged as: mostly bears
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1 May 2008
Adventurous and never boring, Mostly Bears have stirred up a hornet’s nest of buzz since a SXSW showcase earlier this year.
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