Grizzly Bear - Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 10/10/12

8.7

Grizzly Bear has matured. After striking gold with 2009's Veckatimest, the band veers into refined territory with Shields. Their new album finds the band attempting to morph and build upon the crisp orchestration and sweeping melodies they are known for. Wednesday night's set at the Greek Theatre went hand-in-hand with their new material and proved the band is as tight as ever. Under a starless night sky and an impressive set comprised of shifting lanterns, the expanded live band tore through a set balancing new and old.

The last show of their US tour found the band in great spirits as they performed an elongated victory lap set chock full of new material, fan favorites, and a few gems. Unfortunately after a full tour, the band sounds tired and the vocals occasionally fell flat. The sonic density of the new material masked this limitation well. But with so many on stage instruments, some songs sounded cluttered. Still, I commend the band for striving for the sonic perfection of the recorded material. For the most part, they achieve it.

The band's enthusiasm shined through the understated nature of their songs but was not reflected back by the crowd. The majority of attendees were too hip to move, dance, or do much else than talk over songs and guzzle from hidden flasks. This created a weird vibe, making the entire experience feel rather stiff. Still, gleeful shout outs to every member in the band lightened the mood and encouraged them to respond with quirky zingers, dedicate a song to a girl on Twitter and fulfill contrived audience requests for Knife.

I am still having trouble getting into their new album and its not from lack of trying. The live renditions of the songs really opened them up, bringing to light every nuanced string arrangement or hidden melody. A Simple Answer is my favorite cut off the new album and still sticks out as the best new song performed. Shift was a beautiful mid-set surprise featuring a pitch-perfect whistling solo from Chris Taylor, who later shined with his mechanized moan in Knife. The real treat of the night was the climactic double-whammy I Live with You and Foreground. The songs' eerie build-up and cathartic release made for the best 10 minutes of the night.

In conclusion, my biased reaction to this set was certainly due to the transcendental experience of seeing them in a church three years prior. Technically, Shields is the natural next step for the band, seeing them at their most refined and adventurous. Their mid-week set at the Greek was an extension of that. Unfortunately for me, the connection was not as strong this time around. Closing the set with a glorious semi-acoustic All We Ask serenaded the audience with a stark love that cut bone-deep. If nothing else, their haunting sound perfectly complimented the chilly night under the stars, marking the true arrival of Fall. And it wouldn't be fall without Grizzly Bear.