Spirit Bear

After releasing an EP and a handful of collaborative efforts with other bands, indie group Haverford makes their LP debut with the self-released Spirit Bear. Formed in 2012 by a group of Long Island friends, the band mainly focuses on themes of sadness, bad dreams, and other things typical of the emo genre. Haverford doesn't stray too far from those themes on Spirit Bear as most of the album was written directly following Hurricane Sandy's destructive path along the East Coast.

"Anxious" kicks off the record with an instrumental buildup, plenty of feedback, and hints of lyrical whispers that prepare listeners for the rest of the album. Vocalist Connor Ramert makes himself known on "Memo" and his crackling, vulnerable tone continues throughout. Ramert talks about wanting either tombstones or wedding rings on the powerful "I No Longer Am" where I was quickly starting to realize that Haverford places equal importance on both their sound and their lyrics.

Haverford certainly isn't for everyone, but the band deserves praise for its range of experimentation within the emo indie genre. I wasn't expecting the addictive herky-jerky beat on "Please Just Know" or the interesting sounds on the short track "Nested, Sinking." My personal favorite song ended up being "Flowers" where the music ebbs and flows with the emotions of the lyrics. With 13 tracks and a total length of 37 minutes, Spirit Bear will be a brief albeit memorable first impression for the majority of listeners. Interested parties can download the album and pay whatever you see fit. Recommended.