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analysis w/e 14.5.11 |
DVDs out 9.5.11 |
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@ DVDfever Youtube |
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May 11 2011 
DVDfever co uk
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First came the legendary Eagles … now it’s The Department Of Eagles – no comparisons drawn! Ear Park is a nickname for a park found in Los Angeles. It’s a place where founding member Daniel Rossen walked with now deceased papa, to whom the album is dedicated. Perhaps with greater thought, this awesome sonic masterpiece should have been re-titled In Ear Park-fection, as you’re unlikely to hear anything quite like this ever again. This is incredible stuff, believe me.
DOE is the brainchild of eccentric Grizzly Bear’s guitarist cum singer Daniel Rossen based in Brooklyn NY. Once again as for 2003’s un-heralded and unremarkable The Cold Nose he’s co-worked with former university room mate, a one Fred Nicolaus, with Grizzly Bear’s bassist doing the business on the desk. Whatever shortcomings The Cold Nose may have had, In Ear Park is a resounding success, if even for its fearlessness. But that would do it a great injustice. It is however not just for casual ears: musos and music journos are gonna lap this up…if they’ve got any sense of appreciation for something that borders both on the outrageously pompous juxtaposed by the exquisitely tender. This CD is a bold statement of intent marking a coming of age and hopefully this will be reciprocated by some shifting of units at the stores. The construction of this wonder is no overnight impulse – it’s taken almost four years to come to fruition: and it shows. If comparison were to be drawn, not in terms of music, but sheer adventure, it would be Zach Condon of Beirut, Rufus Wainwright and occasionally Sufjan Stevens, for tenderness found on the gentle balladeering of Floating On The Leigh, Balmy Night and ghostly Phantom Other and the glorious finger-picking on dreamy introduction, the title track In Ear Park.
It’s on the other end of their colourful rainbow though, where they really score the Brownie points. This is where they veer towards a totally expansive and freewheeling approach, and it’s mind-boggling and mind-blowing, in equal measure. Following the title track comes a monster – No One Does It Like You. After the clunking start it moves into action with shades of (slow-ish) Motown hovering overhead, mixed with sunny harmonies layering the thumping drums…oh.. I’m in heaven, honestly. A single please! It’s not without its quirky, but delightful, moments found on the shifting and often menacing Around The Bay. Teenagers, with the grand piano opening is a majestic (psychedelic infused) piece indeed, turning out to be an opus, followed closely by the no-limits mindset of Classical Records, rubber stamping a remarkable accomplishment. File under: Stunning in every way.
Weblinks: departmentofeagles.com / 4ad.com/departmentofeagles / myspace.com/deptofeagles
The full list of tracks included are :
As of April 2009, Blu-rays and DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TH-37PX80B 37" Plasma TV with a Sony BDP-1500 Blu-ray player and played through a Yamaha DSP-AX820 amplifier. PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
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Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2010.
