The track is the latest in a string of stellar recent releases from the band
While their sound is often characerised by its boundless energy and larger than life appeal and charm, Bears in Trees have stripped things back and gone for a more poignant and heartfelt approach on their new single ‘We Don’t Speak Anymore’, showcasing a whole new side to the band and one that does a great job of shining a light on the nuance and depth that the band possess in abundance.
The track is an ode to the old friends and acquaintances that have passed us by in life, whether it is people from old fandoms and subcultures, people we worked old jobs with, people we played video games with, anyone who left an indelible and unique mark on us before the inevitable tides of life steered you in different paths. It’s a deeply thoughtful and at times suffocating thing to think about, sometimes with regret, finding locked memories in the back of your mind about people you’d forgotten about, who have maybe forgotten about you, or possibly even having the same moment of introspective realisation that you are. The softness and emotional resonance of the sound and vocals really brings to life the gravity and vulnerability of the situation, making for a wonderfully composed and engrossing track that may just stop you in your tracks as you stop to ask yourself the same questions.
“I grew up surrounded by online friends”, Nick states. They, much like many other Gen-Z’s, found connection and community through online fandoms, forums, subcultures and shared interests, and despite never meeting in real life, held their online comrades in high regard.
Nonetheless, adulthood, reality and forgetting to text back has a habit of causing these virtual kinships to suffer neglect. “It’s natural that in time, you will drift apart,” comments Nick, “but it’s hard not to wonder; what would have happened if we’d lived across the street from one another? If I knew your face instead of your URL and I recognised you on the train? I wanted to try and write a song that encompassed how meaningful these people were in my life, while also understanding that we’d probably never speak again.”
