One of the most pleasant surprises of 2008 for me came from a relatively unknown band called Polar Bear Club from New York. Their debut album Sometimes Things Just Disappear gained a lot of support which resulted in a great tour with The Gaslight Anthem and Frank Turner where they convinced me even more. Barely a year after, Polar Bear Club is ready to release their second album. A bit too soon or are they ready for it?

Well yes they are! I’d kick in with saying that Chasing Hamburg’is yet another classic just like their debut album. Polar Bear Club’s catchy post-hardcore mixed with some pop-punk elements and punk rock (think The Gaslight Anthem, Hot Water Music, The Get Up Kids…) is just plain addicting. They have once again chosen to not make an album that will go down too well live for a hardcore or punk rock band, but one that is easy to listen to at home due to the right atmosphere and Jimmy Stadt’s great voice. And that’s the biggest improvement compared with their debut album, Jimmy’s voice got a little rawer and that’s exactly what was missing to make this band even more complete. Instrumentally the band has produced an exciting 32 minutes of technical drum fills and very right timed guitar licks moving from mostly mid tempo parts into faster parts at just the right times.

 

Chasing Hamburg is a short, but stunning second album from these guys. Besides the fact that they know how to make perfect albums to listen to at home, they also know how to translate these tracks into a very decent live performance. And that makes me very curious how they will translate these new tracks into a live performance. For those who haven’t checked them out, either see them live or go buy this album! It’s worth every euro, yen or penny!