Polar Bear Club "Sometimes Things Just Disappear"

Presumably named after what Wikipedia calls the "oldest winter bathing organization in the United States," listening to Polar Bear Club is (fortunately) a more pleasant and inviting experience than plunging into frigid waters. (Hard to believe, eh?) It's something I'm wont to do -- and have been doing, as of late -- just about every day.

This New York-based band's first full length, Sometimes Things Just Disappear, recently dropped on Red Leader Records, and it is, as far as I can tell, a sleeper hit. It's a little surprising that I haven't heard a whole lot about Polar Bear Club, as their smooth-flowing, crafty songs are fresh and genuine, and equally catchy. Harnessing mid-paced post-hardcore -- stuttering riffs, breezy picking sequences and all -- and melodic punk rock's sense of grit and energy, the band admittedly warrants comparisons to Small Brown Bike and Hot Water Music. Jimmy Stadt's vocals, which straddle (and cross) the line between gruff and clean, don't hamper the comparisons, either. While the record is ultimately familiar, I'm really attracted to the way Polar Bear Club manages to write detailed songs without forgetting the hooks. There's some really catchy stuff here, and it helps to round out the effort.

Sometimes Things Just Disappear is relatively consistent, although it hits a bit of a lull around the eighth song, "Our Ballads," in which the cleverness and attention to detail fall off. Still, the record is almost entirely solid and, throughout its duration, Stadt unleashes witty, honest sentiments (it's hard to not identify with some of the self-depreciating, "I'm-a-fuck-up" kinds of lyrics in particular). I really enjoy this album. I haven't listened to much of this kind of stuff lately, so it's a nice change of pace.

Polar Bear Club - Eat Dinner, Bury the Dog and Run

Grab your copy here.