As I was slowly emerging from a haze of ambience, I gradually re-immersed myself into the pop music scene, with apprehension and instability. I had taken the better part of a year and a half focused solely on the art of ambient music. I was a little rusty when it came to finding good pop and indie music; the lull of ambience had drifted me away from my appreciation of a good, proper band of musicians, and when I say that, I mean musicians that incorporate vocalized lyrics, drums, and the usual sort of instruments associated with more upbeat music. Considering the realm of upbeat music compared to ambient music is so vast and expansive my options were endless when it came to finding music I believed at the time to be sunny and summery.
Gravitating towards Grizzly Bear, after being introduced to them by Chris Rambo, was a natural step forward in my rebirth. Grizzly Bear, at the time of my introduction, was a band that had toured with Radiohead, who I also love, and had released two albums including Horn Of Plenty, and Yellow House. Both of those records are great and I immediately fell in love with the music as it nursed my wounded affection back to life. In the process of researching the band and learning as much as I could about the members, I stumbled across a release by Daniel Rossen, a relatively new member of the band, called In Ear Park by his other band Department Of Eagles.
Rossen and his college roommate Fred Nicolaus had been releasing music under the Department Of Eagles name for some time until Rossen left the band to join Grizzly Bear. After a successful release with Grizzly Bear, Rossen returned to his buddy, and with a new sense of musical inspiration they produced In Ear Park with a little help from some of the members of his other band. This release was crucial in my rehabilitation; it also struck me as being on par or possibly better than the Grizzly Bear releases. I fell in love with Rossens song writing and unique voice that flowed with the soul of a seasoned legend. It seemed right to make the transition through this music; it wasn’t overtly raucous or jarring, it was beautifully pleasant and enjoyably somber in all the right places.
Rossen’s ghostly vocal stylings floated down from the heavens to bless those who could hear them. In the opening title track I drifted through the reeds of acoustical pickings and flittering piano notes, and then, dropped off in the hands of the second, and most beautiful song on the album. “No One Does It” is one of my all-time favorite songs, period. It’s simple pop song structure and intricate weavings of guitar and vocals are an incredible statement of the talent Rossen has to offer the world of music. The lofty feelings of regret and ponderous thought propel “Phantom Other,” while the jingle jangle of “Teenagers” dances it’s way through the atmosphere. “Around The Bay,” “Herring Bone,” and “Classical Records,” are all wonderful songs that keep the momentum going, while “Waves Of Rye” holds some of the best lyrical verse on the album. As the song explodes towards the end, Rossen sings:
“Heaven is a ballroom without ceilings,
Filled with white balloons and smoke machines.”
“Floating On The Lehigh,” and “Balmy Night” close out the album softly and sweetly. In Ear Park will always be credited, in my book, for reawakening my inner indie kid and helping him grow into the true music appreciator I am today. The album still ranks as one of my favorites amongst the various releases by the two bands, and every time I listen to it I am flooded with the feeling that it would fit perfectly as I drink tea in the evening with rain on the roof.
