Bear's Den - Red Earth & Pouring Rain

From the echo of the two opening chords on the titular track of this, the second studio album from Bear’s Den, it becomes clear that we’re in for something of a different flavour from 2014’s Islands. Mirrored in the excellent cover art, this is a record of bright coloured streaks against pitch blackness, a journey of neon-soaked motorway folk. No doubt this will cause divisions among the existing fanbase, a radical departure from the sound that got them this far and for some it may seem like the baby has been thrown out with the bathwater. The truth is though that Bear’s Den are channelling vocalist Andrew Davie through a sound that lends him far more impact than before, crafting a set of recordings that feel alive in their aching reverb and shimmering guitar strums. Moments like the gorgeously patient Love Can’t Stand Alone and Fortress already feel destined to shine on stage, but there are others that fail to match up to the tracks around them – New Jerusalem and Broken Parable, I’m looking at you. Red Earth & Pouring Rain is a bold next step, but one that gives far more than it takes away.