Most who know Daniel Rossen will know him as the guy who plays guitar in Grizzly Bear (and sings some of the songs), and most who know Department of Eagles will know them as the band that has Daniel Rossen, the guy who plays guitar and sings in Grizzly Bear. Actually, Department of Eagles isn't really a side-project for Rossen, as he started the band seven years ago with his roommate at NYU, Fred Nicolaus. The two toiled on In Ear Park off and on for four years, and although it does definitely share some resemblance to Rossen's other band, Department of Eagles have forged their own identity.
Rossen's addition to Grizzly Bear was one of the reasons for the drastic improvement of the band from their first album, Horn of Plenty, to their second disc, Yellow House. His songs, like "Little Brother" and "On a Neck, On a Spit" were among the best on Yellow House. On In Ear Park, he takes center stage. Rossen's voice is a good, if unspectacular one, and he conjures a jazzy folk balladeer in many of the songs. The tracks on In Ear Park are still loaded with full sound and arrangements, but seem a little more straightforward than with Grizzly Bear.
The album places many of its best songs in the beginning. "In Ear Park" begins with a trilling acoustic guitar and strings before nestling into a pretty chamber-folk song. "No One Does It Like You," with its shuffling fuzz bass, is reminiscent of '50s doo-wop if it was reflected by boogie rock. Department of Eagles are strongest when they're exploring territory Rossen doesn't normally cover. "Teenagers" is perhaps the best example, as it's also one of the biggest departures, full of ragtime piano, echoing slide guitar, and a more expressive vocal. "Classical Records" is also an arresting and unexpected song, mixing an ominous, foreboding ambience with some lovely vocals.
Department of Eagles will inevitably receive comparisons to Grizzly Bear, with justifiable reason. Chris Taylor, the bassist/jack-of-all-trades in Grizzly Bear, recorded and produced In Ear Park. Grizzly Bear's drummer, Chris Bear, also plays on the album. So three-quarters of the band had a hand in In Ear Park, and it sounds like it immensely at times. The lush vocal arrangements and complex instrumentation that are hallmarks of Grizzly Bear are well represented on In Ear Park. Fans of Grizzly Bear will likely enjoy the album, but it also suffers somewhat in comparison. Rossen's vocals are more effective when they're alternated with Ed Droste's. When he's singing the majority of the tracks, his delivery can become a little predictable at times. The album's slower numbers, such as "Herring Bone" and "Floating on the Lehigh," aren't nearly as strong as the more dynamic Department of Eagles songs. Also, his songwriting occasionally becomes repetitive. Parts of "Phantom Other" sound quite close to the live version of Grizzly Bear's "Little Brother" that was captured on their Friend EP.
However, Department of Eagles is hardly a vanity project. It is more of an extension of Rossen's songwriting, highlighting a more electronic end of his troubadour folk songs. A song like "Therapy Car Noise," with a memorably moody interlude, wouldn't fit on a Grizzly Bear record. Though it may not match the heights of his other band, Rossen leads Department of Eagles' In Ear Park to an enjoyable album.
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