Polar Bear (album)

According to the band, they spent "a lot of time" recording Polar Bear; Seb Rochford stating that he wanted the album "to have the saxes not so much soloing, but more interacting with (Leafcutter) John, and it took a while for everyone to get their heads round improvising in that way".[1]

The album was initially released on Tin Angel in 2008, but was re-issued by The Leaf Label in 2014.[2]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	72/100[3]
Review scores
Source	Rating
BBC	Positive[4]
Drowned in Sound	8/10[5]
The Guardian	[6]
The Observer	[7]

On the Metacritic website, which aggregates reviews from critics and assigns a normalised rating out of 100, Peepers received a score of 72, based on 1 mixed and 3 positive reviews.[3] Drowned In Sound praised the album's "seamless motion and playful interplay" and "sheer musical pleasure", awarding it 8/10.[5] The BBC called it a "triumph" in their review, calling Polar Bear "a fine record".[4] The Guardian write that Rochford is a "proper jazz composer, whose themes are spare, colourful and strong enough to frame and support extensive improvisation from his talented crew and guests" and call the album "brilliant".[6] The Observer are less impressed, writing that "this is a band running out of ideas", calling Polar Bear "good in small doses".[7] Ultimately, the album did not receive the same press as the previous album, Held On The Tips Of Fingers, which had gained extra media attention after being shortlisted for a Mercury Music Prize.