The Bunny The Bear: Stories Review

Synopsis:
The Bunny The Bear is an American post-hardcore band from Buffalo, New York. Formed in 2008 by Matthew Tybor, also referred to as "The Bunny" hence the rabbit mask and persona he incorporates in the group. Tybor was immediately joined by Chris Hutka, known as "The Bear" whom likewise, wears a bear mask. Tybor employs screamed vocals for the band while Hutka provides clean vocals. Tybor also writes all music and lyrics for the band.The Bunny The Bear's self-titled debut album was self-distributed in 2010 and was followed up with 2011's If You Don't Have Anything Nice To Say... which was issued through Victory after their signing to the label in February 2011.


Review:
The Bunny The Bear Have garnered quite a loyal following as I discovered when I gave their original album a 3/5 and was greeted with rather explicit dialogue to say the least. I return again with a review of "Stories" an album that is more composed and shows a wider range of talent. While track transition can be edgy at time, every single one has its own immediate sound. There is certainly a variety of sound laced throughout the entire album, a welcome change from previous endeavors. Matt has returned with the violent and urgent screams that I have praised previously. This time however his scream and pitch range is so diverse that I found myself focusing on it through every track. Not to mention he even slides a couple clean vocals in from time to time. Chris also returns with a stellar broadcasting of cleans that pierce through the entire album, he too has even evolved to an extent offering some lower pitch sets.

Lyrically the band has crafted some better wordplay, that helps to keep the tracks composed. Although yet again I am astonished by the volume of studio work and instrumentals involved with every piece of music. At times the variety can be a bit much as things get jumbled together, and there were several electronic layer effects that seemed almost unnecessary. Songs such as "Your Reasons" showcase a different side of The Bunny The Bear, with toned down electronics and attention to vocal detail. The "Bear" taking a lower range and The "Bunny" harmonizing his screams with the track layering creates a very dynamic rhythm, not to mention a surprise guitar solo. "Stories" demonstrates some solid potential with catchy album pieces such as "In Like Flynn" and "Imagine", also the the scream voracity in tracks like "Melody" really express the growth of Matt and this band.

If anything their biggest misstep is stubbornly pushing forward and not conforming to other genre merges. Something I noticed when looking at other press reviews. However this is not something to be condemned for music is supposed to be about experimentation and expression. Something that over the years has been hammered out by press favoritism and fanboyism. If The Bunny The Bear is willing to continue to make music then I will certainly continue listening and reviewing it.

Track List

1. Eating Disorder 
2. In Like Flynn 
3. Hey, Allie 
4. It's Not Always Cold in Buffalo 
5. Another Day 
6. The Frog 
7. Melody 
8. Imagine 
9. Your Reasons 
10. What We're Here For 
11. Sadie

4/5

Article by: Larry Harris