With a nearly outrageous level of charm, Seabear returns with an album that picks up right where their debut left off and guides the listener through a warm, gentle collection of organic pop.
On We Built A Fire, the band blends together well as a more equality-focused group than on their debut (QRO review), and the result is a record that is as inviting as any in recent memory. The complex mix of instruments played by Seabear’s seven members generates a sense of cozy, relaxed camaraderie that few bands could achieve starting with the jaunty, opening "Lion Face Boy". Airy, mid-tempo rhythms driven by light-hearted drumming provides the basis on which the organic pop arrangements shine. Piano, guitars, synths, and orchestral instruments join together in a wondefully careful, out-in-nature way, as if the band hangs out by a fireside every day and night. Even at its most outgoing ("Warm Blood"), the band is clever not to break the ribbon tied around it.
There’s a heart-melting softness in each instrument through We Built A Fire, but singer Sindri Már Sigfússon’s vocals are the center around which the tender centrifuge spins. Sigfússon, who also shines as a solo artist that goes by Sin Fang Bous (QRO review), helps define the band’s atmosphere of comfort on each track with his breathy, rolling voice. Backing harmonies only strengthen the effect, like on the glimmering toe-tapper, "Wooden Teeth".
Whether on its quicker legs ("Softship") or exposing its soft belly ("We Fell Of The Roof"), We Built a Fire is a wholesomely gentle creature worthy of attention. The seven-piece comes together with genuine harmony on their second album and delivers an unassuming gem.
