MP3: The Bear Quartet - What I hate
"What I hate" is the first Bear Quartet song I heard that truly floored me. When I first became interested in them and was busy downloading random songs, this is the one that stood out and made me go "what the fuck is this?" The song is such a scathing "fuck you" in every sense, from the combative lyrics, to the harsh sound, to its very placement as the opening track of the album "My war". What kind of self-respecting indierock'n'roll band kicks off their eighth record with an eight-minute long, angry electronic drone? The Bear Quartet, that's who. Though the lyrics gradually become more introspective as the song progresses, slowly redirecting the hate inward, it's still incredibly antagonistic throughout. The guitar screams with shrill white noise. Feedback reigns, careening every which way. The Bear Quartet has always been known to challenge their audience and this is a perfect example. You have to ask yourself: can you hang? Do you see this song as an aberration? Or can you accept The Bear Quartet wholly and completely? My answer to the latter was an overwhelming "yes". It's provocative. Subversive. This is exactly the sort of thing that separates the good from the great. Never be content with the same boring shit.
The Bear Quartet - What I hate