St. Louis based Bear Ceuse is the project of Cameron Matthews, a small town Missourian with a knack for writing excellent rock music. Unlike so many other indie bands, Bear Ceuse doesn’t use distortion as shield to cover up sloppy guitar work, instead focusing on catchy songwriting, shifting effortlessly from the rock squalor of Pavement to the sweet guitar riffs of Camera Obscura. Seamlessly, the band shifts from the sweetness of “Elephant” into the hard edge of “American Wit,” a transition that can be jarring, but works to great effect. If you need one track to convince you of how good Bear Ceuse is, check out the amazing “Kiss Another,” which builds through wandering guitars, drum patters, and howls before reaching a loud climax of reverbed guitars. Make sure you download “Kiss Another” below and/or download Bear Ceuse’s free EP, Oh You Blushed!, also linked below, before Pitchfork gives them Best New Music and everyone else hears about them.
RIYL: Pavement, Camera Obscura, Titus Andronicus, Belle & Sebastian, The Mountain Goats
Bear Ceuse – “Kiss Another” [mp3]
Download the “Oh You Blushed!” EP for free [link]
Michael
ulyssesworkman
awarshauer
