Rating: NNNN
Since 2009, DJ Raf Rundell and Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard have been DJing and making music under the whimsically gay-sounding moniker the 2 Bears. With their debut album of euphoric house music, the London-based duo handily sidestep the potential baggage that might come with a dancey side project (especially a whimsically gay-sounding one).
Although the first half relies on straight-up classic house beats and lyric imperatives to be stronger, work harder and get higher, they upend the formula with an oddball-pop sensibility, beautifully crafted melodies and general silliness. The serenely graceful chorus that interrupts the droll, pitch-shifted rhyming on peak-hours jam Bear Hug is an early indicator of the 2 Bears’ knack for subtly shifting tone without compromising the party vibe.
The latter half wanders away from the dance floor toward the nerdy, crate-diggers’ lounge, giving the Bears a chance to explore reggae, gospel and country-inflected sounds and show off their seriously fun songwriting.
Top track: Bear Hug
