Just as music has changed over time, so have musicians, with the bands that have lasted no longer what you remember from when you first found them (if they’re still around; most gave up the ghost long ago…). Bear Hands were once some indie-rock kids coming up in the NYC late aughts scene. They’ve since toured with everyone, left New York, and expanded their sound, embracing their current tech identity on The Key To What.
Like their last release, 2019’s Fake Tunes (QRO review), What leans into the synths & beats that they’ve been doing for more than a few years now, even further from their guitar-based origins (but that’s the 2020s for you – or even the 2010s…). This is maybe best done with opener/first single “Floor It” (QRO review), low-key vocals from singer Dylan Rau over chill beats. The group has shifted from pushing guitars to laid-back synths, but have retained both their darkness and wry, even matter-of-fact take on it all in numbers such as “Mosquito Song”, “Dialtone”, and “Car Wreck”.
The times, they are a-changin’, and Bear Hands has changed too, but decidedly in their own unique way.
