Rochester, New York, five-piece Polar Bear Club is among a crop of late-’00s bands looking to change the path of “post-hardcore” away from its “brootal dood” leanings. Instead of opting for more run-of-the-mill metal injections, the band updates a ’90s model of what is essentially punk-fueled, introspective indie-rock with slightly gruff vocals influenced by early hardcore. Against the overblown leanings of many of their scene peers, Polar Bear Club sounds positively fresh, earning the band the respect of both kids and cranky old-timers alike.
This article appears in Apr 5-11, 2012.