I discovered Bear vs. Shark by accident. A college roommate had insisted I listen to Minus the Bear, and I wasn’t paying attention, so only the “Bear” part stuck. It proved to be a serendipitous little mistake though, because Bear vs. Shark is as awesome as the battle portrayed in their name would be.
“Catamaran” is a particularly good example of Bear vs. Shark’s wilder side. The lead single off their second (and last) album Terrorhawk (another name that bleeds awesomeness), Catamaran is a frantic, manic song about, like, dancing? Or something about supermarkets? There’s something about “dirty words” in there. Whatever, it’s not important; like many of their songs (and many of the songs I like), the lyrics are pretty much word-salad.
Unlike the meaning, the energy is crystal clear, complete with those machine-gun, rat-a-tat-tat-tat muted strums, vocals like a pinball stuck between octave bumpers, and some hardcore maracas. Not to mention one of the best shouting voices I think I’ve ever heard. The whole albums is worth a listen, as well as their debut, Right Now, You’re in the Best of Hands. And If Something Isn’t Quite Right, Your Doctor Will Know in a Hurry. [Spotify, Amazon, iTunes]
