Peepers (2010)/ Polar Bear

"It's impossible to imagine Polar Bear without Seb Rochford on the drum stool. The once Mercury-nominated group's two tenor-sax lineup is certainly central to the meditative hum of its quirkily harmonised melodies, and the contrasting sax sounds of Acoustic Ladyland's Pete Wareham (raw, spooky, sometimes anguished) and Mark Lockheart (drier and more Wayne Shorterish) furnish plenty of contrast. But Rochford's mix of circus-oompah patterns, punchy funk with neatly-spliced jazzy offbeats and encyclopaedic world-rhythm references mean you could listen to this compelling set just for him. This fourth album, with electronics specialist Leafcutter John featured on rock-ballad guitar, takes their special story on. It has clucky one-note themes over accents like smashing bottles, wistful long-note reveries, car-horn sax choruses turning to free-jazz wails and solemn chants over finger-cymbal pings. Rochford deliberately minimised the studio preparation, and "Peepers" certainly reflects that freshness." (The Guardian)

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