Last Saturday, we went to the Funky Buddha in Boca Raton with intentions of hearing new material from local indie darlings Surfer Blood's forthcoming EP. We had heard ruminations of West Palm Beach act Bear in Mind, who were the opening act, but had never taken in one of its sets. The three-piece just so happened to be celebrating the release of its three-song debut EP, Caught Up in the Moment, this same night.
Remarkably, the craft-beer watering hole was filled to the rafters with Bear in Mind devotees. The trio -- consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Mike McCleary, bassist Reed Berin, and drummer Adam Piccoli -- piqued our interest with a genre-hopping buffet of sounds centered on bubblegum hooks and deep grooves that never swerved into jam band territory.
The guys, who were Alexander W. Dreyfoos High classmates with Surfer Blood's John Paul Pitts and Tyler Schwarz, discharge tight rhythms under effervescent melodies; it's no surprise that they are trained in classical and jazz styles.
Throwing in dashes of dub with prog-rock, pop, and even a little EDM, their debut recording is a varied palette that will appeal to fans of improv, indie, and dance alike. The EP's title track featured here is a poignant example of the budding talent these youngsters possess. We hear inklings of the Flaming Lips' magnum opus, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, in its squelching synth lines and hints of My Morning Jacket and Sparklehorse in the easy-breezy midtempo melody.
Caught up in the Moment(CD) by Cheerstothis
You can pick up your copy of the album today on iTunes. "Caught Up in the Moment" - Single - Bear in Mind.
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