{{Infobox album | name = Dim Lit | type = Album | artist = Polar Bear | cover = Polar_Bear_Dim_Lit_album_cover.jpg | alt = | released = 1 September 2004 | recorded = | venue = | studio = | genre = Jazz | length = 64:00 | label = Babel Label and The Leaf Label | producer = Robert Harder, Sebastian Rochford | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = Held on the Tips of Fingers | next_year = 2005 }}
'''''Dim Lit''''' is the debut album by British jazz band Polar Bear, formed and led by drummer Sebastian Rochford.
==Background==
Polar Bear were awarded Best Band at the BBC Jazz Awards 2004, giving ''Dim Lit'' a platform for small scale success.<ref name="BPost">{{cite web | url=http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Review-Polar-Bear-Lantern-Colston-Hall/story-26385086-detail/story.html | title=Review: Polar Bear at The Lantern (Colston Hall) | work=Bristol Post | date=24 April 2015 | accessdate=28 May 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428025448/http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Review-Polar-Bear-Lantern-Colston-Hall/story-26385086-detail/story.html | archive-date=28 April 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref> It was eventually surpassed by their following album ''Held on the Tips Of Fingers'' (2005), which was nominated for a Mercury Music Prize.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mercuryprize.com/aoty/track.php?TrackID=170 |title=Polar Bear, Held On The Tips Of Fingers |publisher= Mercury Prize, Albums of the Year |date=2005 |accessdate=May 26, 2015}}</ref>
The album was initially released on Babel Label and re-issued by The Leaf Label in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theleaflabel.com/en/news/view/467/DM |title= Polar Bear Album Reissues |publisher= The Leaf Label |date=December 8, 2014 |accessdate=May 26, 2015}}</ref>
==Reception== {{Album ratings | rev1 = The Guardian | rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Guard" /> |rev2 = ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings'' |rev2score = {{Rating|3|4}}<ref name="Penguin">{{cite book |last1=Cook |first1=Richard |authorlink1=Richard Cook (journalist) |last2=Morton |first2=Brian |authorlink2=Brian Morton (Scottish writer) |title=The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |year=2008 |edition=9th |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-141-03401-0 |page=1171}}</ref> }}
''The Guardian'' write that this album "captures (Polar Bear's) unique virtues" and that it "goes straight on to the albums-of-2004 longlist".<ref name="Guard">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/may/21/jazz.shopping1 |title=Reviews: Polar Bear, Dim Lit |work=The Guardian |first=John |last=Fordham |date=May 21, 2004 |accessdate=May 26, 2015}}</ref> The ''BBC'' call ''Dim Lit'' "a finely crafted album" in their review of the follow-up album.<ref name="BBC2">{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/hd8c | title=Polar Bear Held On The Tips Of Fingers Review | work=BBC | accessdate=28 May 2015 | last=Finch | first=Russell}}</ref>
== Track listing ==
All tracks written by Seb Rochford
{{Tracklist | title1 = Heavy Paws on the Purple Floor | length1 = 6:27 | title2 = Not Here, Not Near | length2 = 6:51 | title3 = Eve's Apple | length3 = 8:02 | title4 = Polar Bear Standing and Ready | length4 = 4:34 | title5 = Urban Kilt | length5 = 6:21 | title6 = Snow | length6 = 4:30 | title7 = Underneath You Can See Too Much | length7 = 7:00 | title8 = The Shapes in the Clouds Aren't Always Happy | length8 = 7:28 | title9 = New Dark Park | length9 = 9:32 | title10 = Wild Horses | length10 = 5:13 }}
== Personnel == ===Polar Bear=== * Pete Wareham — tenor saxophone * Mark Lockheart — tenor saxophone * Sebastian Rochford – drums, percussion, drum programming * Tom Herbert – double bass
=== Additional musicians === * Julia Biel – vocals (6) * Ben Davis – cello (3, 10) * John Greswell – viola (3, 6, 10) * Adam Bishop – bass clarinet (6) * Robert Harder – piano (7)
== References == {{reflist}} {{Polar Bear (British band)}} {{Authority control}}
Category:2004 debut albums Category:Polar Bear (British band) albums Category:The Leaf Label albums