The Edmonton Journal
...Attacks the Brilliant Air by Himalayan Bear (Self Righteous Records)

Ryan Beattie, the frontman of Chet, a Vancouver Island indie pop band, is a busy lad. He recently joined fellow West Coasters Frog Eyes as a second guitarist for their last cross-Canada tour. Beattie was pulling double-duty, as his solo project Himalayan Bear was the opening act. ... attacks the brilliant air, Beattie's second full-length album under the Himalayan Bear moniker, is a little subdued for some tastes. For those willing to savour, it contains a range of dynamics, from the quiet intensity of Lo, Lonesome Island to the smooth tropical number The Lost Love. Beattie employs a unique wavering falsetto at times. Slightly more interesting than Beattie's unique vocal phrasing is his guitar playing. Using a variety of instruments --

nylon-stringed acoustics, steel-stringed acoustics and the occasional electric tone, he creates swells of baffling rhythms. While not an immediate attention-grabber, Beattie's latest solo effort builds with repeated listens.