Fools Harp (Chris Bear / Music from Memory)

Under the moniker Fools, Chris Bear (the longstanding drummer/multi-instrumentalist of Grizzly Bear, and composer for HBO’s High Maintenance) recently released his first solo album on the Music From Memory label. From vibraphone to kalimba to Wurlitzer to Omnichord, Bear played every instrument on the album in a devised method of both digital and 4-track recording. He solo-jammed step by step, first recording one instrument and then improvising over it. Recorded across a cocooning six weeks of isolation and self-discovery, the warm solitude extends across the album. You’ll emerge from a full album listen bathed and glowing. Lush, nostalgic and comforting, Fool’s Harp, Vol. 1 leaves enough space activate your imagination and memory in a way that allows Bear’s interwoven soundscapes to score a playdate with your own psyche.

– Lauren Fay Levy

Recommended – Full Listen