8/10

Having spent a large amount of their time in the last few years being extremely vocal about the election of US President Donald Trump and launching a new restaurant, New York natives Grizzly Bear have somehow managed to find the time to write and record a brand new album. Their first since 2012's 'Shields', album number five 'Painted Ruins' sees the band take on a more progressive direction, opting more for big productions and a driven disposition.

While previous Grizzly Bear records have always had this mix of quaint sounds and larger than life percussion, 'Painted Ruins' likes to think of it more as the latter. Summed up brilliantly by the single 'Mourning Sound', the record seems to have this engine running through it, keeping not only a steady pace but also managing the flow of the release in order to create this cohesive body of work that doesn't really shift too violently off-course.

While it does have a slightly different feel to it than some of their previous full-lengths, 'Painted Ruins' still has a lot of that glorious majesty that fans of the band will love to hear again. Sharp and poignant in places, it really does give all it can from start to finish.