Album review: HUNTER & THE BEAR – Paper Heart

[Release date 12.05.17]

Hunter & the Bear I first heard via Spotify, which may not be overly loved by some musicians, however it did its job as Hunter & the Bear were recommended as I liked Tax The Heat and Broken Witt Rebels. The four piece consist of Will Irvine (vocals/guitar), Jimmy (lead guitar/vocals), Gareth (drums/vocals) and Chris (bass/vocals). They have already supported the likes of Eric Clapton and Simple Minds, as well as relentless touring on their own.

Hunter & the Bear have those big, arena friendly anthems like ‘You Can Talk’, that simply burst out of your speakers and have you hooked in an instant. Lyrically they base their songs on everyday life stories and again on ‘Hologram’ the chorus is so big and in your face, as the band cleverly use their vocal talents on the harmonies.

‘Won’t You Ever Come Home’ reminded me of the Dunwells, as like them Hunter & the Bear use vocal harmonies to great effect. This was the song that drew my attention to the band and each song on the album merits its place. There are no fillers on this album, although ‘Nickajack’ takes a few spins to get into fully.

They have a good taste in musical influences, including Led Zeppelin which shows on ‘Who’s Gonna Hear You’ with its big drums and bass rhythm. Then there is the guitar riffs that are all over the song, making for the heaviest song on the album and one that tips a big nod of the hat to 70′s rock. At the opposite end of the loudness scale, the trippy/atmospheric ‘I Am What I Am’ shows another side to the band’s music, impressive stuff.

Based on their debut album, Hunter & the Bear deserve to be headlining the bigger venues in a few years time. Whether they will relies on the fickle hand of fate, although their growing fan base and constant touring are ensuring the band are well on the road to this. ****

Review by Jason Ritchie

18th May The Ironworks, Invernes
19th May Village Hall, Ullapoo
20th May An Lanntair, Stornoway
25th May The Tunnels, Aberdeen
26th May The British Legion, Shetland
Wed June 14 LONDON Borderline
Thu June 15 BRIGHTON Patterns (ex Audio)
Fri June 16 O2 Academy2 Oxford
Sat June 17 BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute3
Sun June 18 NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Cluny
Tue June 20 MANCHESTER Gorilla
Wed June 21 LEEDS Lending Room

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 20 October 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 22 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 28 October 2024

THE RASMUS Rest In Pieces (Better Noise Music)
THE PLAGUE What Else Can I Do (FiXT)
STAR CIRCUS Turn The Tide (indie)
DEFENCES Breathe It In (Long Branch Records)

Featured Albums w/c 28 October 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)