Best Albums of 2009: #21, Bear In Heaven's Beast Rest Forth Mouth

Rank: #21

Album: Beast Rest Forth Mouth

Artist: Bear In Heaven

Label: Hometapes

A bit of a surprise late in the year (mid-November), Bear In Heaven's Beast Rest Forth Mouth did not have much time to impress listeners. However, in that small amount of space, the band's second full-length has been able to spring to life, and into the minds of who've taken the time to check it out. The band doesn't do anything mind-blowing or ground-breaking that may announce their arrival to the masses. Rather, they simply perform what they do well-- play a spacious and active form of experimental rock that has a sneaky tendency to hook you in incredibly quickly.

Beast Rest Forth Mouth inhabits the sort of space most bands would kill for. It's endless, but at the same time, has no need to be. It struggles for nothing, wants for nothing, and only strives to be the most basic of melodies-- a sometimes stunning mix of psychedelia, krautrock and experimental art. If that wasn't enough, it has an inherent need to hook you in with ambiguous, yet catchy melodies and hooks (see "Ultimate Satisfaction"). The combination of thundering and mysterious effects (see "You Do You") only work to enhance lead singer John Philpot's made-for-indie tenor, and always keep you guessing as to the album's next move. It's that uncertainty amidst pop bliss that will keep you coming back, over and over again.

Best Track: "Lovesick Teenagers" (via Pitchfork)

[Previously on Animal Noises: Best Albums of 2009: #22, Here We Go Magic's Here We Go Magic]