Bear Trade describe themselves as a band “with a love of the punk and the rock and the beers and the gigs and the just having fun.” If there were any good reasons to write songs as a band, it would be these. It gives the impression of not wanting to do anything wildly inventive, but you can rest assured that what they do make is honest music, without any pretence or arrogance.
Their debut LP opens with a short and subdued ‘Another One for the List’, which gives way to ‘Bleeding Heart Trouble’, straightforward but raucous, the punchy bass and the jangly guitars punctuated by the occasional “Oof!” This dynamic characterises much of ‘Blood and Sand’, and although it rarely diverges from this, the delicate balance of polished instrumentation and gruff vocals suits Bear Trade perfectly, and highlights the sincerity of their abilities as musicians and songwriters. Of course, “gruffness” can’t really be brought up without mentioning the northern accent of the vocals, which is unashamedly, and rightly, not covered up in the slightest; where some bands might put too much focus on making the singer sing “properly”, Bear Trade embrace this brashness, and it brings something to their music that is impossible to dislike.
At just over four minutes, ‘Anathema’ is the longest track on the record, but thankfully it doesn’t feel drawn out, and is certainly one of the best of the bunch. Again, it doesn’t stray far from the blueprint established earlier on, but the band do it so well that it would be foolish to alter things. This doesn’t necessarily mean that as musicians they aren’t capable of doing anything else – their track record in other bands is proof that they are – but ‘Blood and Sand’ just isn’t the time or place for it, nor should it be.
‘Postcards’ is the weakest track, lacking the punch and clarity of the rest of the record. The guitars are just too busy here, and the vocals lose their power somewhat. Unlike its counterparts, it does feel a little tedious. Fortunately the last few tracks recover the record and it ends strongly on ‘Dead Leg’. The fact that this song seems to be literally about giving someone a dead leg shows just how unassuming Bear Trade can be, while still being able to write a corker of a song about it.
‘Blood and Sand’ is not necessarily the most musically adventurous record ever made, but its little eccentricities make it an absolute joy to listen to. What makes it even better is that these quirks are obviously not just invented, but genuine. What makes the record great is its simplicity and integrity, and for Bear Trade to have made something too complex and pretentious would have been a betrayal of who they are as accomplished musicians and people.
CHRIS MIFSUD