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SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR EP Reviews
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::Cleveland Plain Dealer Friday Magazine::
[April 13, 2007]
Winter depression has taken its toll with the Northeast Ohio band Bears, which recently recorded its new EP "Shortest Day of the Year." "The title goes along with the mood of the EP," said Cleveland Heights resident Charlie McArthur (guitar/vocals). "A lot of the songs are a little bit darker than the songs on our first record. They were written in the winter when everything is a little bit more depressing, a little bit more sparse." Fans worried that the indie-rock popsters may be following a doom-and-gloom path need not fret. The sextet -- McArthur, Craig Ramsey (drums), Patrick Tripto (organ/ guitar), Sean Sullivan (bass), Rachel Hart (percussion) and Jared McGrath (keyboards/vocals) -- is at work on its second album, due out at the end of the year. The band, which recently returned from a two-week tour that included numerous South By Southwest Music Festival shows, has added unreleased and upbeat songs -- "Who Knows?" and "Since I Met You" -- into its set. A West Coast tour looms this summer. Bears celebrate the release of "Shortest Day of the Year" at 9 p.m. Saturday at the Beachland Tavern, 15711 Waterloo Road, Cleveland. Opening are Southeast Engine and His Hideous Heart. $5. Call 216-383-1124. - John Benson
::Cleveland Free Times::
[April 11, 2007]
This seven-song EP arrived with a disclaimer of sorts, advising us that it "isn't necessarily a new direction, just a break." It's not drastically different from the band's ballyhooed debut, which didn't just take Cleveland by storm but got a good deal of national attention as well. These nicely arranged songs take a page out of the Elephant 6 book. "Reason to Cry" is a tender ballad that, thanks to a steady stream of tambourine shakes, you could clap along to. And "You Can Tell" has the same kind of uptempo charm as the songs on the band's debut. All in all, it's another fine showing by one of the better local talents. — Jeff Niesel
::Cleveland Scene Magazine::
[April 11, 2007]
To make his résumé any more diverse, Craig Ramsey would have to take up mixed martial-arts combat. He drummed with metalcore legends Ascension, kept a swing beat for roots-rockers Ace & the Ragers, and plays Pixies-styled power-pop with Kiddo -- none of which suggests that he's capable of creating anything like the Bears' sophomore EP, Shortest Day of the Year.
On record, the group is the multitasking duo of Ramsey and Charlie McArthur (former guitarist for Ache:Emelie). Harmonizing and co-writing, the two brew unplugged indie-pop full of gentle acoustic guitar ("Reason to Cry"), gorgeous piano melodies ("Losing My Love" and "My Pain"), and electric Americana ("You Can Tell"). Like Ramsey's metal-crossover material, the songs are brief blasts -- most closer to two minutes than three. And while they're delicate, they hit hard. - D.X. Ferris
::You Ain't No Picasso::
[March 1, 2007]
"Orchestral pop group Bears are going to be releasing their new EP on April 3. I got this song last night, listened to it and went to bed. This morning, for the first time in two months, I put on the Lucksmiths’ First Tape. Related? You bet. If I didn’t like the Lucksmiths, I would say that Bears’ new song is an example of another good band falling to their wicked influence. But I love the Lucksmiths; so it’s more like the exact oppostite of that. “You Can Tell” is a tender pop work that could not have come at a better time to soundtrack the turn of winter into spring."
[READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE HERE]
[Wolf Notes] [February 28, 2007]
On April 3rd, Bears will self-release the Shortest Day Of The Year, a seven song EP full of several pensive, slower tracks that serve as somewhat of a departure from the upbeet twee of their debut and their yet-to-be recorded second album. The disc is available for pre-order now through the band’s website for $5 and Italian label Best Kept Secret will offering a limited edition CASSETTE pressing to coincide with the release..." [READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE HERE]
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BEARS ALBUM Reviews
:: Skyscraper ::
[Issue 23 | Winter 2007]
"Cleveland's Bears have a fascination with the sunnier side of the twee-poppers of the eighties and delightfully sugared sixties bubblegum, which is to say that their self-titled debut disc is pretty much all sweetness and light... Kicking off with "Never Have To Guess,' a spryly paced tune that would not be out of place on a Sarah Records release circa 1990, the band embark on a short journey of nostalgia and beauty... One of the album's standouts, "How To Live" offers Simon and Garfunkel harmonies wrapped in a slightly sinister sixties Farfisa organ, and can't but bring a smile to the most curmudgeonly listener." [READ THE ARTICLE HERE]
::Impose Magazine::
[Issue 26 | Dec '06 / Jan '07]
"Get Instruments, learn to play instruments, write songs, sing songs, get more people to play songs live, make a record and make a living. This is how a band forms and a music career begins. However, it is hardly ever easy; unless you are Bears..."
[READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE HERE]
::30 Music::
[October 12, 2006]
Rating: 7.8/10
"... It’s full of jingly tambourine shaking and bell tinkling, all in a compact 13 songs over 36 minutes. The songs are perfectly executed, in that they don’t go as expected, yet flow so smoothly and sound so nice with the lo-fi production, which adds to the sound’s far-away feeling. Not far-away as in foreign, but as in living in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by thick forests and mountains. Choosing a favorite track is hard, because they’re all so good. It’s just the style of these songs are all so fitting... cleverly crafted pop songs that are all enjoyable just because of the way they play. Whether it’s arrangements, catchy melodies, or mood setting, Bears just make pleasant songs. This album works because of the well placed parts and variations. The xylophone/bells are all in the right spots, they don’t stick out, but are consistently noticeable and highly pleasant.[READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE HERE]
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