3 out of 5

Label: Coming Home Music

Producer: Jonathan Bates

Yes, the original Mellowdrone EP had some amazing tracks, Bates doing his grainy bedroom production thing out of necessity at that point but still delivering a thudding low end, soothing to emotive vocals, and sneering lyrics that matched crunchy guitar support.  But to my ear, the last couple tracks were just sorta standard rock / indie-rock affairs, and so though my friendy friends sorta sneered at full album ‘Box’, as it contained the entirety of the EP re-recorded, I actually thought it was a sweet plan, and it really helped to shape up those iffy tracks into more stable pop rock jobbies.

There was a break, and now its Angry Bear.  We’ve taken a step back to an independent production again, for reasons whatever, but the sound is still undeniably Mellowdrone.  The same song structure dynamics of establishing a quirky tune and then humming some snippy lines atop before exploding into a loud chorus are in tow for pretty much every track, but in gaining some further fleshed out songwriting chops, ‘Drone also lost… something.  This is the post-major label album, and whether by choice or loss of contract, beyond the content of the lyrics, there’s almost a lazy resignation filtering through a lot of the songs, just lacking some perceived passion that previously existed.  Which is a shame, because these compositions are pretty downright amazing, up there with Britt Daniel’s best pop rock jams, just these amazing, simple notes that when strummed in such a fashion create a totally unique rhythm.  Every track is worth listening to as a good head bobber, but only a select few rise above and build successfully upon themselves to be just that little bit more that made us notice Mellowdrone above similar acts in the first place: the swinging sadness of ‘Big Winner’, the amazing ‘Sugar’, which evolves to toss in the name of the album in ways just so unexpected considering where the song begins, the growing anger of ‘Drinking Song,’ and then closer ‘DMT’ is like a sweet memory.

I think if you’ve hung in there with Mellowdrone you won’t be disppointed by Angry Bear, but I’m glad Bates decided to redirect himself to Big Black Delta