GRIZZLY BEAR > Friend EP

Since the double-disc reissue of their 2004 debut album Horn of Plenty that showcased more than just a few fellow East Coast acts’ renditions of Grizzly Bear’s splendidly moody and ornate orchestrations, it’s clear the Brooklyn quintet is certainly no stranger to having their material covered. 

Label: Warp
3.5 stars

Since the double-disc reissue of their 2004 debut album Horn of Plenty that showcased more than just a few fellow East Coast acts’ renditions of Grizzly Bear’s splendidly moody and ornate orchestrations, it’s clear the Brooklyn quintet is certainly no stranger to having their material covered. Following the frenzy after last year’s masterpiece Yellow House, their latest EP, Friend, has attracted the likes of Beirut, Atlas Sound (solo project of Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox) and even a banjo-pluckin’ interpretation of “Plans” by Band of Horses. Fittingly, though, the high points belong to the group’s own expanded version of “Alligator” that transforms the originally brief track to a lavish piece, complete with a blaring brass climax, and a home recording of band member Daniel Rossen’s “Deep Blue Sea” that could very well point ahead to what’s to come for the many newly recruited Grizzly fans.