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Album Description: In Ear Park is a colorful and expansive album, an intimate and personal collection of songs; much of the material that Daniel brought to In Ear Park draws on memories from his childhood, especially those relating to his father, who passed away in 2007 and to whom the album is dedicated (the title track is a nickname for a park in Los Angeles that the two used to visit). Many of Fred's contributions relate to similar themes of nostalgia and mortality, giving the album at times an elegiac feel. In Ear Park is also full of joyful moments, lush production and concise songwriting. From the early demos to the final mix, it took roughly four years for the group to complete this new collection of eleven songs.
Customer Reviews:
- My favorite album of 2008: Even though this album received considerable praise upon its release, its absence from many "best of" lists over the last couple weeks surprises me. This was hands down the most enjoyable full length album of 2008, though Vampire Weekend is a close second. I think what I liked about it is that it's relatively simple and straightforward without sacrificing texture, warmth, and experimentation. Just solid songs that reveal themselves as increasingly catchy and rich with each listen. The first 5 songs in particular are just incredible.
- Great stuff.: This album is beautiful- it has some of the best pop songs in recent years. This is the closest we're going to get to another Beatles album, so savor it.
- Superb.: This album is simply one of the 5 best albums of the year. Imagine Wilco fronted by Sgt Pepper's-era Lennon with a healthy dash of Radiohead. Just get it already.
- Simply Beautiful: For those who may not be familiar with contemporary improvisational music, there is a label out of Munich, Germany run by Manfred Eicher called ECM. Since 1969, they have produced some of the most beautiful and in some cases, the most highly influential records the genre has to offer. The records are generally done in roughly 3 to 4 days, leaving little room for studio tampering. Eicher is tyrannically opposed to overdubbing and over-producing, allowing the music to retain a very spontaneous atmosphere, as well as a very organic one. The music in most cases, reflects a wider world influence infusing not only elements of modern North American jazz, but classical European harmony and world folk.
The new record from Grizzly Bear member Daniel Rossen and long time musical collaborator Fred Nicolaus reminds me of one of Eicher's records. It's sparse arrangements coupled with dense harmonies and often-shambolic rhythms, brings to mind early Ralph Towner records. The chord structures used here are certainly not the generic ones found on most pop records, as with Grizzly Bear's Yellow House, chords are often realized beyond their mere 3 note applications and extend into the upper regions of the chord's implied harmony (extended 7th's and 9th's). The vocals are recorded in such a way that separating them from the music is impossible. They almost function as an instrument, that's not to detract from the lyrical content, but instead, enhances the experience by placing you as a listener right there with them throughout the whole record.
Discussing the lyrical content of this record would probably be a disservice, mostly because it really does transcend words for the most part. Having said that, the album was dedicated to Rossen's late father and carries with it topic matter that may not have been suitable for a Grizzly Bear project.
Another great strength of this record (along with Yellow House) is the "repeated listen" factor. It is recorded in such a way that the subtlety of the music will not reveal itself upon first listen. There are myriad vocal effects, reverb, and instrumental textures that are layered in a such a way that warrant this music to be experienced alone with a set of hi-fi headphones.
This is record to explore, live with, and more than likely, will be used as a reference 20 years from now as to where independent "pop" music was at the time and who were it's innovators.
- f--king outstanding!: It's one of the best albums I've heard in years. A cross between Beirut and Radiohead. Every song is spectacular. Masterpiece.
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