I have waited so
long for this!
I first wrote up a
review back in February, but I was checking some things with drummer Matt
Pelissier, and there were reasons not to do it then. I had been listening to
their music on Soundcloud, and those songs had been recorded with a different
singer. Matt felt like directing people there would be unfair to their current
vocalist Keith Burton. As they were working on an album, it made sense to wait
for its release.
(Shortly after
that exchange, they took down those songs, but would occasionally put up
tantalizing new things as the work progressed.)
That release date
slipped a lot, as the band faced every obstacle imaginable. I knew about the break-in where their equipment was stolen and the engineering problems, but the
Bandcamp page also mentions a ghost and a fake cancer patient. (There could be
an interesting rock opera in there somewhere.)
Then there were
more lineup changes, and just as the album was finally ready and promoting it
becomes really important, Matt's personal Twitter started wigging out. Through
it all the band has endured, and Exiled From Bear Country finally
resides on my computer.
It sounds too
cheesy to call this a triumph of the human spirit, but it is absolutely a
testament to the persistence and heart of this band. It would have been so easy
to give up at any point, and they haven't, and they won't. Revenir means
"to return" in French, and they will keep coming back.
I do remember
thinking, even back in February, that there was kind of a bluesy vibe to the
music. There aren't exactly blues riffs; I would say the guitars are pretty
straightforward rock, with a few surprises tossed in the might come from
industrial or progressive or somewhere. Or maybe I just don't know how to
classify "There's A Way Out Of Hell". It's not something that I would
have imagined, but it grabs me.
"Gone
Cold" is not Gospel, but it reminds me of it. There are no harmonicas, so
there isn't anything that I can point to that says "blues"; maybe it
is just that this is a band who has suffered and they keep going. Revenir's
sound is never boring; I feel confident saying that.
"Blinded
Sight" is an amazing song, and you can listen to it in its entirety on
Soundcloud. Let that whet your appetite. You can also listen to "Secret
Cowboy" there, which shows a different side of them. The overall variety
of themes and sounds is strong, and they are well-performed. The album almost
has a live feel, which goes well with the grittiness of their experience.
I like their music
a lot, but I also like them personally. They have been amazingly accessible to
their fans, even as the base increases. They have been able to roll with the
lineup changes maintaining good feelings (it does not always go down like
that). So we have lost bassist Kyle Burton and guitarist Stephen Horvath, but
we still love them, and will warmly accept Dan Bui and Gareth Shihadeh, and
will thankfully hold on to Matt, Keith, and guitarist Jay Lydard, who also
provides some vocals, goat yell, and a warm heart.
Their music is
good, and they have so much music in them. Remembering back to February, some
of the songs are the same, but some have changed and some are new and they are
already working on a new album. They keep going not only because they are
persistent, but also because they have something to contribute.
So I wish them
crazy success, and as difficult as the business is today, I think they can do
it. Go buy Bear Country and throw some love their way. It is available
through iTunes and GooglePlay as well as Bandcamp.
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