Shields

(Warp)

So brimful of wonder is the fourth long-player by Brooklyn quartet Grizzly Bear that you are rendered almost bloated come its cataclysmic conclusion, as if having eaten one piece of sushi too many. Though perhaps dim sum would be a more apposite simile, since you're quickly unfolding your napkin and tucking in again. Either way, Shields is a deeply nourishing banquet. Across its 10 tracks, a masterclass of textural complexity prepares the ground for a cloudburst of woozy, soporific melodies welded to free-spirited arrangements where everything happens for a damn good reason; diversions are embraced, compositional curiosities indulged, predictable resolutions shunned. And while overtones of bygone techniques arise as the feast progresses, none obscures the untrammelled instincts of twin vocalists Ed Droste and Daniel Rossen, who pour such diverse flavours as flamenco, Malibu pop and modern jazz into the pot. It's flawlessly executed and guaranteed to satisfy even the fussiest listener. Dig in.