Grizzly Bear: "Foreground"

In the last few years, as major labels crumble like wet sandcastles and the Hype Machine presages the Billboard charts, a number of deserving bands have transitioned from indie darlings to almost-mainstream successes. But in many cases, as with Death Cab For Cutie’s Atlantic Records output or the Shins’ limp Wincing The Night Away (2007), more money has led to, well, more problems. Grizzly Bear’s astounding third album, Veckatimest, is the exception to the rule. Since the 2006 release of Yellow House, the band has gone from half-filling cramped rock haunts to co-headlining with the LA Philharmonic, opening for Radiohead, and conquering the hearts of a legion of breathless Stereogum commenters. In an era where hype is as fickle as a “delete” key, it may be their most impressive feat yet if they can hold onto them past next week, much less the May 26 release of the just-leaked Veckatimest—but who cares when we can listen to “Foreground”?

The album’s final track is one of its best, a circling Ed Droste-sung piano ballad that recalls former tourmates Radiohead’s “How I Made My Millions”—itself a bitter, elusive dirge on fortunate and fame. The drum grooves that punch up much of the album are held back here, leaving Droste’s quivering tenor and a foggy piano arpeggio. Like Yorke’s, Droste’s lyrics are sweetly sung and ponderously indecipherable. “Take all evening, I’ll just be cleaning,” he sings; “This is a foreground.” A foreground to what? With songs like this in hand, it’s hard to imagine that Grizzly Bear has hidden its best material backstage, though surely somewhere some Twitterer is tweeting at poor Ed, already begging for LP4.