Bear Hands ‘You’ll Pay For This’

Words by Lauren Sorce

Are you constantly on the search for a party playlist? Well, consider your search over. On April 15th, Brooklyn indie-rockers Bear Hands will release their third album, You’ll Pay For This, via their own label, Spensive Sounds. The guys – Dylan Rau (vocals and guitar), Val Loper (bass), Ted Feldman (guitar), and TJ Orscher (drums) – worked alongside ultra-talented producers like Grammy Award winning James Brown (Arctic Monkeys and Foo Fighters) and Brit award winning Alan Moulder (Death Cab For Cutie and Nine Inch Nails), to bring you a bangin’ LP. After ridiculously smashing expectations on their previous albums, Distraction (2014) and Burning Bush Supper Club (2010), we can look forward to another stellar album.

Personally, this LP screams conflict – it’s a full-on battle where the preservation of youth is vital, as age creeps up. Their single, “2AM” does just that, showcasing their rebellious and wild spirit of wanting to enjoy what used to happen after 2AM, while conveying the struggle of simply forgetting “how old I am”. Throughout the entirety of the album, however, the psychedelic and playful tracks relay that Bear Hands are not willing to give up their youth just yet.

Overall, this album seems to me to be more or less a journey of fighting off obstacles, such as age and conformity to stay true to their organic spirits. Similarly, the most notable track of the album is that of the response to the title, “I Wont Pay”. It’s a definite psychedelic and youthful track about living the life they see fit, singing “And I see nothing wrong with the range life/ better than the horror of cage tight.”

By the last track however, they seem to be more humbled with “Purpose Filled Life”, a song about how they don’t want to let anyone down, and will do whatever it takes to make it seem like they deserve it. Don’t worry Bear Hands, you absolutely deserve it, because this album was so fresh and rebellious, it gave me a purpose to check out your upcoming tour dates.