Vocal Points: In Perfect Harmony

posted in: Features • Rock

Let’s face it, much of popular music these days is cookie-cutter stuff”melodies that are easy to sing along to with mediocre lyrical content and little to no emphasis or inclusion of the intricate vocal harmonies which make music so interesting. Layering these harmonies add a really cool, depth to music which allow listeners to discover something new about the music with every listen. But now that the lifespan of a hit song is much shorter, and music tends to be more shallow, much of the importance and depth of vocal harmony has been forgotten.

But there are still bands who “get” harmony. A great example is Grizzly Bear, an indie band whose four members, Chris Bear, Daniel Rossen, Ed Droste and Chris Taylor all contribute unique vocals to their music. Both Droste’s and Rossen’s tenor voices are different, but the way that they come together with the upper-range voices of Bear and Taylor is truly stunning. Grizzly Bear’s phenomenal attention to details in music is so well done, making for a sound unlike anything else. And in live performance by this band succeeds at an even higher level. Grizzly Bear makes these complicated harmonies come together seamlessly, channeling a choir while still being full of life and fun to watch.

Another band who are also masters of vocal harmony is Fleet Foxes. Fleet Foxes is made up of six members, four of which are contributing vocalists. Like Grizzly Bear, each voice is distinct, and when combined in simple, yet effective harmonies, everything come together beautifully.  These massed vocal arrangements, which often sound closer to polyphonic choral music than folk rock, make the music extremely powerful and help the group stand out from other bands trying to do a similar thing.

Last but not least, Bon Iver continues to exhibit prominence in the indie music scene with harmony-laden vocals throughout their music. Despite the differences between For Emma, Forever Ago and self-titled album Bon Iver, the fact remains that the intertwining of harmonies is vital to the music. In fact, since Bon Iver’s recorded material relies so heavily upon these layers of harmony, they initially compensated in live performance by handing out lyrics and asking the crowd to sing along.

I think it’s important to remember that there are still amazing musicians and singers out there who are capable of bringing harmony back. Its not impossible to break away from the mainstream music scene to achieve success. These bands are proving this every day, and“more importantly”are re-introducing us to the kind of harmonies which once were only heard in choirs.