Listen: Golden Suits - "Is It Wrong"

photo by Sammy Goldfien

When Fred Nicolaus made his solo debut back in 2013,  I had a lot of expectations. Expectations established from years of listening to his former band Department of Eagles. Golden Suits, both the new moniker Nicolaus elected for his new venture and the album named  after said moniker managed not only to exceed all my possible expectations but highlight in retrospect Nicolaus' strengths as part of the Department of Eagles duo. Golden Suits was an album of accomplished songwriting, polished chamber pop, and agile indie rock beaming with sincerity and established without a shadow of a doubt that Nicolaus' deft lyricism was on par with Daniel Rossen's despite Nicolaus' slight detour after their hiatus.

On "Is It Wrong", the first taste of what's next after Nicolaus' heart-on-his-sleeve debut, Nicolaus obfuscates the literary influences in favor of a much more straightforward delivery and leans into his more traditional rock influences over the crispness of  the arrangements of the debut. Where Golden Suits tracks' seemed meticulously and pristinely crafted in its entirely, "It It Wrong" is built around its colossal choruses; where Golden Suits was steeped in the heartbreak of what could be and never would, "It Is Wrong" radiates with positivity even in the face of uncertainty. Nicolaus approaches both the songwriting and composition of "Is It Wrong" from such a dynamically different place than his debut and the result is a song that pushes the sound of the debut forward but not into completely uncharted territory. "Is It Wrong" is the incremental progress that happens when life goes on, different in ways but not wholly divorced from it's source material. Happy is a decidedly good sound for Nicolaus and Golden Suits and "Is It Wrong" has my interest piqued in what more of that would sound like. Here's hoping it's not too long before Nicolaus delivers.

Watch: Golden Suits BreakThru Radio Live Session

Earlier this year, Fred Nicolaus of Department of Eagles fame released his solo debut under the moniker Golden Suits. In addition to being the sum of his musical thoughts since Department of Eagles went on hiatus years ago, it also chronicles a rather hectic year in Nicolaus life as well as an obsession with John Cheever that Nicolaus hasn't been too shy about hiding.

This week - today in particular, Golden Suits starts a rather inclusive US tour and what better way to ring in the occasion than this lovely live video he did for BreakThru Radio. In it, he plays "Swimming in '99" which aptly chronicles the album's theme of love, loss, nostalgia that seamlessly weaves Cheever's stories with Nicolaus' own. Not to discredit the rest of Golden Suits but the album opening track is probably its very best. Stripped of all the album's lovely trimmings, Nicolaus still gives the track the performance it deserves armed solely with his trusty electric guitar. It's a perfect example of what you can expect from the Golden Suits live show and why you should hit up one of 12 tour dates.

Golden Suits - Golden Suits (2013)

During the press cycle for Daniel Rossen's Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP last year, Rossen let slip that he'd been helping former Department of Eagles band member Fred Nicolaus with his upcoming solo record. In an instant my hopes of an Department of Eagles reunion were reignited after years of lying mostly dormant. To what extent that aid was was left unclear and it wasn't until well over a year later that the first peak what Nicolaus had been brewing made it's way out in first single "Didn't I Warn You"

With Daniel Rossen functioning mostly as the megaphone of Department of Eagles, it's rather easy to relegate Fred Nicolaus to the role of background player but on his first solo venture, under the moniker Golden Suits, Nicolaus makes his own voice heard in a big way. While Rossen's vocals often accompany a sense of emotional urgency, Nicolaus' flexes his with practiced calm. Where Rossen's are swathed in intricately layered arrangements, Nicolaus' vocals roam wild and free. But Golden Suits is more than just your standard "he did this so I'll do that" kind of record - rather for the first time, we get to see what Fred Nicolaus can do when only relying on his former collaborators for finishing touches.

The result is an album that takes it's time - softly treading, lightly weaving, and effortlessly steered. Nicolaus' melodic power comes predominantly from his ever spotlighted vocals and his lyricism is spry and clever while given ample time to take root. Though almost every one of Nicolaus' Department of Eagles conspirators are present, Golden Suits is far from a Department of Eagles record and their influence is subtle if anything. The only audible instance of Daniel Rossen's vocals is in the harmonies of album closer "Dearly Beloved".

Golden Suits is clearly Nicolaus', recounting his own tales of woe and upheaval distilled into a sense of offbeat pop that allows them to be more than melancholic musings. They're not quite elevated to the level of humor but infused with just enough pep and light-heartedness to be utterly enjoyable, relatable, charming, and not as insufferable as an album of "Woe is me" songs has the potential to be.

While it may have been a bit of unintentional misdirection that lead me to Golden Suits, I'm certainly glad it did. Not only does the album spotlight Fred Nicolaus as a dear melodic yarn-spinner but paints a far clearer perspective of Nicolaus' strengths as musician in ways a late arrival to Department of Eagles might not really indicate. Fred Nicolaus might be the least famous of his Grizzly Bear cohorts but Golden Suits proves it's not for lack of talent and Nicolaus should be well on his way to selling out venues soon enough.

Watch: Golden Suits - "Swimming in '99" (Lyric Video)

A couple months ago former Department of Eagles member Fred Nicolaus' first bit of solo material was released. It was amazing. The intensity of Department of Eagles' greatest track was nowhere to be found in "Didn't I Warn You" instead filled with a pristine bit of layers and a svelte-ness that established instantaneous that this was material of Nicolaus' own creation; not merely Department of Eagles with a different name.



"Swimming in '99", our second peak into the upcoming solo full length Golden Suits, continues similarly in that vein. However, the smoothness is disrupted in favor of extensive use of percussion. If it wasn't explicitly stated to be a lyric video, Nicolaus' latest offering could pass for the actual music video for "Swimming in '99". All of the action takes place between two watches - one meant to represent the year's beginning and the year's end.

It's apt that Nicolaus chose watches as his sort of symbolic moniker considering the watchmaker-like precision and intricacy of his tracks thus far. A talent of melody creating some pretty arresting musical moments. If the lyric video featuring various New York landmarks and locations is just the appetizer, I can't wait for the main course.

Golden Suits self-titled debut album is out August 20th on YepRoc Records.

Listen: Golden Suits - "Didn't I Warn You"

If there's one thing you should know about me it's that I love Department of Eagles. More than Grizzly Bear, possibly more than Daniel Rossen's solo output though that's debatable. During the press cycle following last year's release of Rossen's solo EP Silent Hour/Golden Mile, Rossen mentioned that aside from working on the new Grizzly Bear record that he'd been helping out his old Department of Eagles partner Fred Nicolaus with his upcoming solo record. Fantastic news. It's no Department of Eagles reunion but damn if I wasn't intrigued, having just recently missed Nicolaus' possible live solo debut at Zebulon.

Now I don't have to wonder anymore. Today sees the official announcement of Nicolaus' solo effort, titled Golden Suits, and the subsequent first single from the upcoming self-titled record. Mostly relegated to general music-making and backing vocals in Department of Eagles, it's nice to hear Nicolaus' on his own. With unique vocals all his own, "Didn't I Warn You" is a complexly multi-layered track, taking its dear sweet time with its setup reveals Nicolaus as far less insistent, vocally at least, than Rossen. The track eases along at its own pace as Nicolaus' vocals pour over on top, syrupy smooth. There's a lot going on in the track but it manages to avoid sounding overtly busy or calling attention to exactly how many things Nicolaus can cram up in there.




Consider me righteously excited for Golden Suits, out August 20th.

(via Under the Radar)

Listen: Daniel Rossen - "Not Coming Back"

It's not really something that comes up that often but one of my favorite things is when an artist releases an old song or demo or unused b-side or musical fragment. It's the rare instance when you get to actually see the artist at work. How a catchy hook blossoms into a whole song or even just a peek into the mind of someone you don't have access to. So of course Daniel Rossen's recent releases of demos have been a complete and utter treat for me. Before he dressed up his songs in a sea of ear-catching arrangements or completely solidified where he wanted to go lyrically. It's take a very secure musician to grant you such access to their unfinished work.

"Not Coming Back" is a track that gestated around the same time many of the tracks from the Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP did although apparently it's function was more as a means to get from point A to point B but surprising functions as a nice little addition to Rossen's rather minuscule collection of tunes. While he's shipped out parts of it to other songs (The EP's "Golden Mile" "Silent Song" and Shields' "Sun in Your Eyes"), it still remains a pretty interesting look at Rossen's process as well as just a great track. Despite it's dissemination, Rossen's proud of it and for good reason. It's catchy as hell and a shimmering example of just how talented he is even when he's not at his best (by his estimations, not mine). It's a track I know I'm going to be  bumping a positively unhealthy amount.

Here's hoping there's more to come in Daniel Rossen's unused b-sides and demos series.
 Not Coming Back by drossenbro

Pitstop: Thin Hymns

One of the best things, greater than a submissions inbox, is having musical friends because that's exactly how I discovered Chicago's Thin Hymns. Caleb Moore of Lands & Peoples recently hosted a house show in Baltimore home and Thin Hymns were one of the bands to take advantage of Caleb's hospitality. Apparently they made the quite the impression because not long after Caleb strongly suggested I check them out. Done.



There's certainly many attractive qualities about the Chicago quintet: the most winsome being a sort of loose reminiscence to Daniel Rossen/Department of Eagles - two projects that I've always been very much onboard with. But the association is loose, I assure you. They don't employ any of the tremendous engulfing arrangements that Rossen's solo projects are known for. Rather it's the sort of mysterious, otherworldly yet never ethereal air the quintet manage to achieve on their Logic & Theory EP that's cause for the comparison. There's also vestiges of Prussia's intricate, layered chamber pop a la Poor English on "Logic & Theory" and "Inland" and a little hint of Brazos' "Pues" in instrumental track "Lunar Phase".

But Thin Hymns are more than just the sum of other bands/artists I really got into this year. They're talented pop makers, crafting memorable and infectious tunes steeped in experimental, complex soundscapes. And that's a feat in and of itself. The effects of Thin Hymns' tracks are direct even when their presentation and construction are anything but. In a lot of ways they're very similar to Lands & Peoples, creating a sort of effortless though no doubt intensively constructed experimental pop that you can enjoy easily upon first listen. There's no need to warm up to Thin Hymns tracks. Their enjoyable properties are all laid there for it, it's all just a matter of hearing it. So do yourself a favor and give Thin Hymns a listen, you'll be glad you did.





 You can check out their Logic & Theory EP over on Bandcamp. Here's hoping there's more to come soon.

Grizzly Bear - Shields (2012)

Truth be told, I’ve never considered myself much of a Grizzly Bear fan. Despite more than a handful of intense listening sessions to their three previous full lengths, I would always find myself more momentarily appeased than I would actually impressed by the Brooklyn quartet. Until now. On their fourth studio album, Shields, the four individuals' noteworthy musicianship finally synced up in all the right ways for me.

On opener “Sleeping Ute”, the epic grandeur that led me to champion the arrangement-heavy works of Daniel Rossen’s solo Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP as well as Department of Eagles’ In Ear Park finally seeps into Grizzly Bear’s music-making in a big way. With its complex prog-rock stylings , “Sleeping Ute”’s  various moving parts are birthed,  interlocked,  deconstructed, and reconfigured right before you as the track crests and troughs alongside Rossen’s meandering vocals.  It’s a mammoth sprawl which leads you to wonder just how an album can continue from it and Grizzly Bear answer with “Speak in Rounds”, simple and percussion-driven before exploding into action. The fast-paced intricacy of “Sleeping Ute” is still at work here albeit on a smaller microcosmic scale as the tune shifts intermittently between sauntering trot and full on blustering gallop.

And in an unexpected but no less enjoyable twist, Grizzly Bear bridge “Speak in Rounds” and “Yet Again” with “Adeima” - a short musical interlude which riffs on the end of “Speak in Rounds” and functions mostly as a means of sonic experimentation and pseudo palate cleanser.  “Yet Again” behaves not unlike a parallel of “Sleeping Ute” sharing its rock foundation but channeling it in a far less showy manner. There’s no guitar pyrotechnics or the seeming one-upmanship of “Sleeping Ute” and yet it’s far from a dumbed down version. “Yet Again” is filled with smaller intricacies like the upward inflected guitar riffs that add some spice to its forward-moving momentous plod. 

“The Hunt”, with its sparse piano accompanied vocals provided by Ed Droste, is the first moment (second if you count “Adeima”) where you get a break from the impressive weight of the group’s musical ideas that pepper and fill the album to its very brim. It plumbs yet unchartered emotional depths (as far as Shields is concerned) and provides an almost jarring change of pace with its sense of delicacy and quiet smack dab in the center of the album. And after such a soft piece of introspection, “A Simple Answer” seems complementary. Nearly double the length of its predecessor, the track marches on upon pulsing piano lines until about halfway through when the ground falls out and Rossen’s even-tempered narrative swoops, cranes, and soars.

“What’s Wrong” stands as one of the album’s foremost examples of Grizzly Bear’s excellent musicianship on display (another perhaps more noteable display being “Half Gate”) not in the sense of their impressive ability to create exceptional moments but in the band’s everything and the kitchen sink approach to the track while also managing to keep it relatively quiet and simple. Evidence of the foursome’s individual musical talents shift in an out of focus (like Chris Taylor’s clarinet) and little enjoyment musical moments that are easy to miss but great if you catch (namely how the melody shifts from part to part starting in the vocals before shifting in the piano line and subsequently handed off to the clarinet) are peppered throughout.  “gun-shy”, with its bright arcs of sound, recalls Yellow House far more than  any other track on Shields but its straightforward nature and lack of intense layering is one of the most notable things that distinguishes it as proper Shields track. It features, quite honestly my favorite vocal performance from Ed Droste in Grizzly Bear’s entire catalog which is saying something. It’s simple but not base and the bent guitar riffs provide an interesting accompaniment

.

“Half Gate”, another display of Grizzly Bear’s overwhelmingly stellar musicianship, comes after Shields takes a bit of a minor slant and bursts forward with an endearing smile-inducing brightness and a lushness found in the most beguiling of orchestral pop. It surges forth with an intense clamor and ear-catching rise and fall where the bright, hopeful rush takes on a slightly darker tint before exploded triumphant once-again. “Half Gate”, to me represents one of the true strengths of Shields, having Droste and Rossen trade vocal lines at precisely the right time to give it extra punch. Rossen’s emotive swells providing the track with a forward push and deeper well of feeling than Droste’s. But the two work together excellently, handing off vocal duties that both enhance Droste’s narrative and ground Rossen’s plaintive roar.

Grizzly Bear’s decision to close out the album with “Sun in Your Eyes” is a feat of exceptional largesse. Once again featuring Rossen on vocals, the track makes abundant use of the man’s vocal strength. “Sun in Your Eyes” can easily be an example of Shields machinations on a smaller scale – as we’re treated to moments of rising intensity before they sudden abate before building back up again. “Sun In Your Eyes” is a work of tension and release, giving up only what is expected before upping the ante time after time shifting between energetic rock jam, and calm, softer moment where the lyrics read much like poetry, “Sun In Your Eyes” is an excellent closer fully capitalizing on its seven minute length and milking it for every second.         

After my initial taste of Shields I was certain of its status as the best Grizzly Bear album in their catalog, an assertion that has only grown stronger and more certain with each subsequent listen. Whereas on previous records I could cherry pick one or two favorite tracks and damn the rest, Shields is both incredibly cohesive as an album as well as in songwriting skill. Each track leans just enough on each other that you feel strange trying to pluck a single track from among them. Even if you can somehow pick out a favorite chances are the many of Shields tracks are not far behind. Shields is the first Grizzly Bear album where I feel compelled to simply hit play and let the magic happen as opposed to skipping throughout. Shields is Grizzly Bear’s most involved album to date and it no doubt benefits from the absolute inclusion of all of its members and their strengths;  a testament to the foursome’s ability to create a rich, engaging journey as well as infectious, memorable tunes to serves as the landmarks. Shields is straightforward and direct while also remaining gainfully elusive and rewardingly labyrinthine; a continuous treat and righteous display of true artistic growth.

Grizzly Bear - "Sleeping Ute"

If you've followed any of my ramblings about Daniel Rossen on here, you're more than familiar that I much prefer Rossen's sideprojects and solo efforts to those of his actual band Grizzly Bear. Or at least I was fairly certain I did until now. For some time now the Brooklyn foursome have been working on their fourth album, the follow up to 2009's Veckatimest, and with the album now just about ready to see the light of day we're being treated to a sneak peek of it.

I use the word treat in every sense of the word as the new track "Sleeping Ute" combines many of the elements I thoroughly enjoyed about Rossen's projects (Silent Hour/Golden Mile, Department of Eagles) and brings them to the forefront of Grizzly Bear. The dizzying rush of intricate, nearly overwhelming arrangements that crackle with pop catchiness? It's enough to make a true Grizzly Bear convert out of me. Almost. I look forward to hearing the new album to see if that's indeed the case. "Sleeping Ute" has an insanely epic grandeur that fills you with complete awe as the winds and bends along, slowly unfurling it's tendrils and grabbing you tightly and closely after drawing you near with its come-hither coo. An absolute stunner of a track, really.

Listen to the first track from Grizzly Bear's upcoming yet untitled fourth album, out September 18th on Warp Records, "Sleeping Ute":


(via Under the Radar)

Daniel Rossen - Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP (2012)

On it's release date two days ago, Daniel Rossen (best known for his work among the ranks of Grizzly Bear and half of the duo Department of Eagles) did a short set and interview for WNYC's Soundcheck. One of the things he talked about among the sea of news about other people's projects was that he wrote the songs of his brand new Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP as a practice to get back into writing music after Grizzly Bear took a break and he wasn't so sure he wanted to keep creating music. He wasn't even intending to put out the songs. Anyone who has heard the Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP in full should be full with as much righteous indignation (with an acceptable amount of confusion) as I was when I heard that.

On Rossen's new EP, you have 5 songs that are more breathtakingly beautiful, more striking, more instantly transportive than a lot of the music that's being put out today and they almost didn't come out. It's utterly baffling.  And yet, the urge to explore and experiment was responsible for Department of Eagles catalog  so you have to wonder if Rossen's self-doubt and underselling is really his key strength. Silent Hour/Golden Mile is a collection of unfathomably well-constructed tunes that manage to balance Rossen's love of experimentation with flow - each track seems utterly perfect where it is. Songs like "Silent Song"  and "Golden Mile" crackle with intensity while "Up On High" and "Saint Nothing" drift along more languidly but no less effectively.

Silent Hour/Golden Mile is an absolutely stunning record full of layers and layers on rich melodies and Rossen's doleful yet heart-warming tenor. A collection of songs brimming with an intense musicality and emotion. Each and every element of it's composition work together to create an unmistakably gratifying group of songs. Silent Hour/Golden Mile is a record just waiting to be your new favorite purely because it's too good to be anything else.

You can listen to the album on Spotify, stream it on its Bleep product page, and well as order it - it's worth it.

In case you need more convincing, check out "Saint Nothing" from the EP:

Daniel Rossen - "Silent Song"

Considering the 5 song length of Daniel Rossen's solo debut Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP, I figured it would be quite some time before we got another peak at what was on the record. Not so. Following up on last weeks release of "Saint Nothing", Rossen's gone ahead and made new song "Silent Song" available for listening as well.

"Silent Song" is sure to draw some comparisons to Department of Eagles with it's veritable layers of sound, craning melodic lines, and Rossen's quiet vocal assault on your heartstrings. It's the stuff that made the very best Department of Eagles tracks and yet, goes above and beyond what you could expect from the duo. Rossen's voice has matured and his knack for musical world-building has only improved.




(via Stereogum)

Daniel Rossen - "Saint Nothing"

I got into Department of Eagles right before they announced their indefinite hiatus and Daniel Rossen dedicated the majority of his time and songwriter prowess to the folk of Grizzly Bear. Grizzly Bear is all well and good but I've always enjoyed Department of Eagles a little bit more than Grizzly Bear. So of course the news of Daniel Rossen releasing a solo album is like blogger/fan Christmas. And probably the closest we'll get to anything resembling any Department of Eagles news for awhile (despite Fred Nicolaus playing a random solo show in Brooklyn last year). Color me excited. Rossen solo outing, titled Silent Hour/Golden Mile, is bound to be some of the most mesmerizingly gorgeous batch of tunes. How do I know this? "Saint Nothing". It's pristine, almost endlessly sprawling, and jampacked with sorrowful refrains. Utterly transcending Rossen's previous work in Department of Eagles and Grizzly Bear. And so begins the long wait until March 20th, when Rossen's 5-song debut drops and utterly changes everything. Or at the very least, gets an insane amount of play.

Department of Eagles to release Archives

I first discovered Department of Eagles last summer just in time to witness the DoE news-well run dry. Department of Eagles, composed of Daniel Rosen (of Grizzly Bear) and Fred Nicholas, started as a project to keep the duo entertained while studying at NYU. Releasing two albums, of which the latest In Ear Park has received rave reviews, the project has pretty much been put on hiatus due to Rosen's work with Grizzly Bear and Nicholas' full-time employment. There hasn't much news since the hiatus announcement last April; that is until several weeks ago. The band plans of releasing Archive 2003-2006 which consists of a bunch of tracks, written and produced, beore working on In Ear Park in 2007. Of it the band says:

Basically, before we recorded "In Ear Park," we had a long period of messing around in various circumstances, producing a lot of songs that never really saw the light of day. Some of it is very proto: way back in 2004 Daniel had this period where he was making these beautiful little suites using NYU practice room pianos, and we've included a lot of those. Other stuff comes from a period in 2006 when we tried and failed to make an album at this studio in Berkeley, CA. Also there's also a song we recorded with Chris Taylor that's one of few fast-paced rage type songs we've done. So yeah. It's not a collection of new material but rather a fun romp down memory lane that I hope will appeal.

The "album" is set for release on July 20th on American Dust and July 19th aboard on Bella Union. It's also available for preorder in the US here:
http://www.americandust.net/discography?id=1142

I, for one, couldn't be more excited as it's been quite some time since the band's released anything. Although I'm hoping the archive is just a means to hold off fans until they have a more formal release ready and now some sort of swan song. Here's to hoping!

Never heard of Dept. of Eagles? Hear what they sound like with "No One Does It Like You":