Tucked away in the back room of Rough Trade, the band Bear In Heaven glowed under yellow, purple and green lights. The crowd of mustaches and suspenders shuffled in without the unpleasant glow of oppressive iPhone screens. The space had become larger when the band came on stage and silence echoed between the members of the audience.
A Bear In Heaven performance is best described as atmospheric. Audience members were noticeably unengaged with one another, and break between songs were devoid of chatter. I was surprised by how comfortable the shared silence was, and the band continued through their set uninterrupted. Few live shows have been so consuming and intoxicating, and I felt as if I were alone in my room, listening to a record without distraction.
Their new video for “Autumn” is no different. Dizzied with vibrating lines and flashes of red, the song is piercing with breaks of smooth but taut vocals. Their psych-rock sound is in full force, and the video mirrors it fittingly. I must warn you, though, I came very close to having seizure at work watching this music video so proceed with caution.
