Review: Forests EP by Spirit of the Bear
By Julia Tomlinson
Showcasing the perfect blend of electronic synth meets indie rock, Spirit of the Bear is a captivating band based out of Youngstown, Ohio. Although the majority of their shows are played around various parts of Ohio, Spirit of the Bear have a growing fan base, notably spreading further out into the midwest. Since its original formation in 2014 and eventual expansion of group members, (Now James Harker, Mike Perorazio, Ethan Schwendeman, Danny Svenson, and Jamie Vitullo) have been making their mark on the music world. The group have released several singles since 2015, along with their first album titled “Remains”, and their sophomore album, “Fade into Blue”.
Published on September 29th, their most recent release titled “Forests EP”, includes three tracks: “Falling Down”, “The Well”, and “Forests”. Their EP is self-described as a “reforestation” of old songs they had taken down in the past and recently remixed, or even remastered entirely for re-release on the EP. Fans had been eagerly asking the group to put some of their former songs back online, and the band listened.
The EP starts off with “Falling Down”, the only exclusively instrumental track on the EP. It sets the tone for the other two tracks, impressively giving a taste of their iconic electronic synth intertwined with an indie rock sound. The end of “Falling Down” seamlessly transitions into the intro to “The Well”, originally released in 2015. The song has a feel good melody, as well as a prominent theme of keeping an optimistic mindset no matter how deep the metaphorical well you’re stuck in, is summed up in the chorus lyrics, “Where I'm going / Woah, I don't know / But I'm not slowing down, woah / I'm not slowing down”.
The EP concludes with the airy sounding, yet heavy themed track “Forests”, the tone seemingly embodying nature itself, a common feat found in Spirit of the Bear’s music. The lyrics, “Our cries echo through the forest air/ If we fall can you tell me will anyone hear?/ Can we make a sound?”, help listeners potentially connect and relate to the uncertainties that go along with life’s various troubles we often face alone. This song also touches on doubts about having an impact worth remembering once you’re long gone. “Forests” does however end on a positive note, closing out with the lyrics “And our pain will not last forever / Our memories will always live on /Our memories will never be gone”. While this EP was a remastering of fan favorites, it is till a breath of fresh air and a genuinely beautiful collection of songs that any indie rock fan would love to have in their music library.
Find Spirit of the Bear:
