Grizzly Bear

Veckatimest

Warp

Rating: 4/5

Veckatimest represents a huge step forward from 2006's Yellow House for Grizzly Bear, whose psychedelia-laced folk rock suddenly seems perfectly of the moment, in the wake of the successes of Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes and Arcade Fire.

'Southern Point' opens the album on a high, its folksy textures of acoustic guitars, tambourine, dramatic drums and gentle harmonies blossoming gradually, via the addition of piano and strings, into a full-blown Van Dyke Parks-ian antique psych-rock extravaganza. Spiked by sour guitar chording, the quartet's harmonies on 'Fine For Now' recall Fleet Foxes and Crosby, Stills & Nash, while on 'Two Weeks' the blend of plunking, faux-naïve piano and sylvan harmonies is more reminiscent of Smile-era Beach Boys. The closest precedent for 'All We Ask' would have to be the original (1960s) Nirvana.

As through the album, the overly mannered lyrics appear to sketch a tableau of corroded communication – "I can't get out of what I'm into with you" – which might be alleviated by a more direct mode of address.

It's not entirely persuasive – the hushed preciosity of 'Dory' is annoyingly smug – but there's enough light here to illuminate the darkest heart.

Download: 'Southern Point', 'Two Weeks', 'Ready', 'Fine For Now', 'All We Ask'