Beautiful folk songs abound on The Bear’s self-titled release, which takes a slow and easy approach, waiting patiently for each song to unfold naturally. Led by husband-wife team Louisa Murray and Nathan Pitts who share vocal duties on the album, the group also includes Kyle Minckler (drums), Ben Tanner (keyboards) and Ben Stedman (bass). Named after the William Faulkner story The Bear, these Alabama natives play mellow folk music tinged with occasional moody streaks and upbeat numbers bolstered by Pitt’s guitar. Murray’s lovely voice often sounds like an earthy Hope Sandoval, and thoroughly charms on tracks like “I Got A Man” and “On The Shoals.” The Bear is a solid debut made with skill and care that hopefully will lead to more good things in the future. – Written by DBosket
SIMILAR | The Great Lake Swimmers, The Head and the Heart, Sarah Jarosz, Magnolia Mountain, Those Darlins