What I Missed: Department of Eagles

What I Missed is a new series devoted to music from 2008 that I for whatever reason neglected to pay attention to until now. The first installment is dedicated to Department of Eagles, and their 2008 release In Ear Park. The band was formed in 2001 by Fred Nicolaus and Daniel Rossen (of Grizzly Bear). You can probably connect the dots yourself, but what led me to this band is Rossen, as I love his work in Grizzly Bear so I quickly obtained what I could of his other projects. I don't usually fall in love with specific guitar tones, but Rossen's guitar in Grizzly Bear is one of a kind, and his vocals are the perfect compliment to lead man Ed Droste.

In Department of Eagles, Rossen takes on the lead role and it pays off very nicely. The music is very similar to Grizzly Bear, but In Ear Park has more melodic, theatrical qualities - taking the texture of Grizzly Bear and applying it to more conventional structures. There are more suite-like songs, with more specific sections and themes than in Grizzly Bear, and I think some songs reach more grandiose heights - a few songs have the tendency to start off quiet and suddenly lurch into a bigger, off-tilt section (Phantom Other, Classical Records).

Be sure to check out In Ear Park if you haven't already.

MP3: Phantom Other

Official website
Buy In Ear Park here