If Godley & Creme – whom you would probably only know from their tear-jerking 1985 hit Cry – got together with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and consulted with Depeche Mode and the Decemberists about how to be intellectual and moody, you might end up with something like Grizzly Bear’s latest release “Veckatimest”. A word which, for some reason, makes me think of someone who “veckatimes”. Which is in fact, not a verb, but rather, one of the Elizabeth Islands. Grizzly Bear’s music captures a sort of intellectual pop vibe with none of the the extra layer of pretension that makes one want to beat up the fans of bands like the Decemberists or Belle & Sebastian. I love the video featured here, which was directed by Patrick Daughters, who’s also done work for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beck, Death Cab for Cutie, and Interpol. As in this video for Feist’s 1234, Daughters takes a simple set, some people, and adds some relatively pedestrian effects to create a clever and engaging product. There’s nothing “stunning” about Veckatimest, but lead singer Edward Droste has a beautiful voice, the songs are well-crafted, and if your tastes range across things like Great Lake Swimmers, Woven Hand, and Arcade Fire, you might find Grizzly Bear growing on you.