Los Angeles by way of Boston by way of Miami by way of Venezuela, Mellowdrone return with a second full-length recording in a career that now spans ten years. While the first five years saw Mellowdrone remarkably productive as a solo venture releasing a series of EP's, it took a while to produce the first long player. The now trio - spearheaded by vocalist/bassist Jonathan Bates - finally brought forth their debut full-length, Box, in 2006, and it was met with a lot of acclaim. And then things kind of fell quiet for Bates and company. There was a brief peak above water with a 7" release last year and the recording for a new full-length that was mentioned in late 2008.
Several months removed, in fact, nearly a year since its recording, the second full-length from Mellowdrone now sees the light of day. With Angry Bear Bates and his cohorts continue their fusion of cool indie, electro, and rock music.
"Wherever You May Go" leads off the album with a slightly melancholic dark indie rock vibe, something that contrasts the previous style of Box. Bates mainly uses a deeper vocal style which matches the slower tempo of the song, occasionally working in flourishes of higher harmonies. The group changes the pace with "Elephant," a quirky upbeat indie rock tune accented with pianos and programming. Guitarist Tony Dematteo provides a catchy riff to the chorus, which adds to the song's infectiousness. The song is much more in tune with the previous recordings and walks the line between the worlds of Beck and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. It is a fun rock tune that you can either dance or bob your head to, whichever is your pleasure.
As Angry Bear unfolds to my ears, I begin to realize that Mellowdrone is no longer the one-man operation it was when it began. The influence of Bates' songwriting partners is evident throughout - for better and for worse. "Alone" ventures in the mid-tempo rock world. It is also the first song to feature drummer Brian Borg's songwriting credit. And while the bulk of the songs are still accredited to Bates, this contribution and Dematteo's to a number of songs provides reason for the new directions taken on the album.
Angry Bear continues to define itself from its predecessors with more unique instrumentation and other songwriting nuances. I thoroughly enjoyed "Esmerelda" with its fluid basstones and mild-mannered guitars. Bates delivery is again, a smooth harmony that flirts with comparisons to Beck, Ken Andrews, and Josh Homme. "Big Winner" has its fun moments, but they are displaced by verses that bore. "Lady in Her Underwear" flirts with trip-hop styles of Zero 7 and Portishead. "Jumping Off the Pier" is an intriguing rock number that catches the ear, it even boasts a slick guitar solo and some surf-rock guitar playing. Unfortunately, this is followed by closer "DMT," which doesn't do anything for me.
Angry Bear has been a long-time coming since Box was released three years ago. Longtime fans of Mellowdrone likely grew impatient with the seemingly never-ending wait for a new full-length. And while expectations were indeed high for Angry Bear, I feel that the album has graciously met a good portion of those. However, when you have written as strong as a release as Box it is a difficult feat to top, or even match for that matter, the level of craftsmanship in the songwriting.
