Spirit Fest - Bear in Town (2023) Hi-Res

There’s a secret to the sound of Bear in Town by Spirit Fest: simplicity. Creating something simple is actually more complex than it may seem. How much is needed, and how much can actually be left out? Some bands like to keep throwing in more elements until what you have becomes muddled by the detail. Spirit Fest keep it more complex by eliminating those elements that aren’t needed. Knowing when more is too much is a difficult task. Finding the essence of a song requires the ability to stop and listen.

Sometimes, words can get in the way. While that may seem surprising for a multi-national aggregation like Saya and Takashi Ueno of Tenniscoats, Notwists Markus Acher and Cico Beck, and Jam Money’s Mat Fowler, their unique ability to make do with the bare minimum manages to generate the sound of Spirit Fest. The bass, drums and voice that open Kou-Kou Land, along with the straightforward stop-and-go texture of the song, create something truly gorgeous. The single notes played on the piano only add to the summery simplicity. Magic is in the air, and this music has plenty of it.

Lost & Found floats in on a gentle breeze of guitar, a simple drum phrase only adds to the languid late summer air. Recorded live in the studio with few vocal overdubs, what comes through is how carefully these musicians listen, forging complexity from their concise precision; instruments build their phrases slowly, leaving room to fill the air, not afraid of silence, instead revelling in it.

Little details create moments that speak volumes. In Our House comes with the simplest piano phrases, one note at a time, filling measures before building on the unhurried drumming and soft acoustic guitar. Certain sections seem to skitter by, while others glory in the humidity of the summer air. Like A Plane repurposes a track that Markus Acher wrote for his 2022 solo album, creating something much more complex, focused on keyboards and bass, surpassing the original solely by creating a new context.

Like capturing a lightning bug in a glass jar, Spirit Fest have created majesty from simplicity, harnessing and distilling elements with ease. Hill Blo feels almost rushed as the double-timed acoustic guitars and drums force the pace of the piano while still refusing to join the rush they have established.

Unfolding at its own pace, Spirit Fest finds the mystical core of their music on Bear in Town. Not a moment is truly rushed, unfolding precisely, forging musical connections that touch the soul of what makes us human.