Grizzly Bear - Foreground

A repetitive, almost hypnotic piano theme, deep timpani strikes, and vocals so intimate and vulnerable it feels as though he’s standing right beside you. Take a listen ...

Grizzly Bear, the Brooklyn-based band centered around Ed Droste and Daniel Rossen, has always been known for its complex layering and baroque pop arrangements. With "Foreground," however, they proved that sometimes the greatest strength lies in omission. The song serves as the closing track of their breakthrough album Veckatimest, named after a small island in Massachusetts. While the piano and vocals carry the song's fragility, the timpani provide the emotional weight. They only enter as the piece progresses and are played very subtly, yet with enormous depth. These are not hard hits, but rather soft, rolling accents created with felt mallets.