Bear's Den - So that you might hear me

While Red Earth & Pouring Rain was written in just three weeks, So That You Might Hear Me was recorded in their own studio, allowing Davie and partner Kevin Jones to experiment more. Instead of falling into old songwriting patterns, they could push themselves. Like many artists with lots of studio time, they found themselves experimenting with tools like synthesizers and pianos. The beauty and possibilities of those instruments often lead to slower tempos, as songs become expansive and the drums begin to feel like a constraining yoke, rather than a life-giving heartbeat. Such as the case on some of So That You Might Hear Me‘s tracks. A typical song is one like “Fuel on the Fire,” which begins with a synth riff that gradually allows in an electronic drumbeat. Some electric guitar eventually fleshes out the song, but at its core, it’s synth-pop. But not all of the album is introspective and slower-tempo. There are some upbeat, rock-oriented songs, a la Red Earth. “Hiding Bottles,” with its big guitar riff and propulsive drums, is reminiscent of Bastille’s “Pompeii” in the size of the song. It seems tailor-made for big arenas, although Davie gives the vocals a sadness that lend a nice incongruousness to the relentless happy bombast of the music. -Glide Magazine