On Hard Times, the third album from Victoria, BC’s Himalayan Bear aka Ryan Beattie exhibits an indisputable level of ingenuity, a fetish for reverb and a voice that is as delicate as it is potent. Beattie may be best known as the front man of Chet or the guitarist of Frog Eyes, but he started making records in his early teens and has amassed a large catalog over the nearly two decades since. It’s his solo project Himalayan Bear which best shows his inimitable talent and remarkable voice, and Hard Times is his finest effort to date. Hard Times will be released on August 2nd, 2011 by Absolutely Kosher Records.

Much of the album hinges on the tension and desperation, but his years of experience show in a subtle guarded confidence throughout the album’s seven tracks. Though the songs may inspire a deep loneliness Beattie certainly wasn’t alone in the recording process. The chosen studio, The Last Resort, proved to be a social hub of the Victoria scene which allowed for brainstorming, last minute additions and a casual, but creative environment for the album to develop in. Instrumentation ranging from lap steel to trumpet to double bass all made their way on to the record, sometimes acting to ground Beattie’s vocals on tracks such as “Half Wit Son”, but also at times drawing the listener into Beattie’s world on tracks like “Man of Fire”.