Department of Eagles

"In Aural Ecstasy" would better describe this magical mix of Sgt. Pepper meets Van Dyke Parks, Pink Floyd, Tom Petty and some of the best '00s indie rock. Department of Eagles could easily play friendly with their astute contemporaries of the animal named kind: Hopping on and off their merry-go-round of folk, rock and pop are warbling layers of echoes and sound bytes reminiscent of Animal Collective; woodwinds, whistles and playful double bass a la Caribou and haunting harmonies and twinkling acoustic guitars resembling Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear (member Daniel Rossen's other band).

Formed in an NYU dorm room in 2000, this band finds Grizzly Bear's Dan Rossen melding the
psychedelic indie rock of his day job with Seventies lazy-river folk. Featuring a spate of
slow songs specked with brass, distorted guitar and eerie, meandering melodies, In Ear
Park sometimes rambles a bit: "Balmy Night," where Rossen warbles over a fluttering banjo,
could use a more defined tune. But when two other Grizzly Bear members join i... More >