Department Of Eagles

If you're looking for a sonic explanation of how Grizzly Bear precursor duo Department of Eagles graduated from the often-whimsical audio experiments of their debut, The Cold Nose, to the grandiose orchestral pop of their In Ear Park breakthrough, you won't find it in Archive. Ranging from five brief song sketches (and labelled as such) to fully realized, single-ready material like the compelling, urgent "While We're Young," this collection plays like a blueprint for their later masterpiece. Many hallmarks of the band's greatness are deeply imbedded in their sound: harmonically adventurous chord progressions; dynamic, echo-laden percussion; gently lilting melodies; cutting guitar lines; and beautiful, yet ominous, piano. The Beach Boys-influenced harmonies and dense symphonic arrangements that evolve into dramatic crescendos are also very much at the forefront of Department of Eagles' sound. Only a few moments of electronic sputtering introducing three of the practice room sketches hint at the group's playful audio collage roots. Rather than acting as a Rosetta stone to the band's progression, Archive is a quality platter of leftovers for listeners hungry for an In Ear Park follow up.