VIENNA, September, 2, 2011 —Since Polar Bear Club released their sophomore album Chasing Hamburg, there has been an undeniable buzz about them. For months leading up to the album’s release and then for months afterward, they just seemed to be one of those “it” bands. Fans and independent music publications couldn’t stop talking about the band.
Sometimes there’s just a feeling a band will blow up. Polar Bear Club seems to be generating that feeling at the moment.
On Sunday, September 4th, Polar Bear Club will be bringing their blend of anthemic rock and post-hardcore aesthetics TO the Ottobar in Baltimore, Maryland, showcasing their rising popularity and their new album Chase Battle Guilt Pride. This is the first headlining tour of the band’s career.
The band from Rochester, New York has been around for a scant six years, but have yet to really take a step backward. Since releasing their first EP The Redder, the Better in 2008, they’ve kept a steady stream of releases coming, never looking back.
With each successive release, Polar Bear Club appears to be moving further away from the sound that’s most associated with the scene of their roots. They began with a decidedly punk feel, with fast and loose musicianship.
As the band has aged, their playing has gotten tighter and while it is difficult to say they do or don't play at the same speed they did before, their music has become more intricate, if not more complicated.
One thing that hasn’t changed about Polar Bear Club, becoming one of their most definable traits, is Jimmy Stadt’s vocals. While the band has been moving away from their punk/post-hardcore roots and towards more straight up hard rock, Stadt’s gruff growl of vocals has remained center stage.
It suited the band perfectly when they were more connected sonically with the hardcore scene but would seem to be out of place as they allow more distance from their roots sound. However, Stadt has managed fit his voice right in with the rest of the band’s attack, softening his voice ever so slightly while still retaining all of its bite.
Despite the subtle and consistent shift in their sound, it’s hard to get hung up on memories of their past efforts or feel like they are leaving anyone behind. The change in Polar Bear Club began, it seems, nearly from day one. They might be moving towards a traditional hard rock sound and they might end up getting more mainstream appeal, but it has the feel of an organic move.
And it may herald the band's implosion as bands get into trouble with their fan bases if there growth begins to feel inorganic or done purposefully to gain more attention. Polar Bear Club has always worn their heart on their collective sleeves though, which hasn’t changed and may prevent the issue from ever taking hold.
It endears them to their fan base and also allows them to pick up new ones easily because nothing about the band is false.
This headlining tour in support of Clash Battle Guilt Pride should prove just how close they are to garnering more mainstream attention. Regardless of whether they keep rising or if they’ve hit a plateau, people in Baltimore are in for an honest, hardworking dose of anthemic rock courtesy of Polar Bear Club.
Stephen Bradley is an avid music listener. Read more of his work in Riffs at the Washington Times Communities.
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