Daniel Rossen has always been my favorite Grizzly Bear. His distinctive vocals and ability to craft quite a melody is what makes Veckatimest for me. Though his tracks might not be as immediate or as catchy as tracks like Two Weeks or Cheerleader, his general presence on the album is what ultimately made me love it.Silent Hour/Golden Mile isn't anything outside of his comfort zone, it pretty much plays like a Department of Eagles album. The EP starts out with a strong folk intent and the usual carefully-crafted chord progressions on Up On High, then shoots for a more traditional structure and varying time signature on the whimsical Silent Song. If those first tracks weren't fresh enough, the EP continues with Return to Form, a track characterized by its harsh guitar plucking, making it seem like it would fit very snug on In Ear Park, Department of Eagles second LP. Saint Nothing brings the mood down to a beautifully haunting piano melody, backed by a soft, breathy horn section. This is definitely one of the best works of Rossen's career. The EP ends on a low note with Golden Mile, not to say it's a weak poor track, just not nearly as captivating as the previous 4 ones.
What we have here is just further confirmation of Daniel Rossen's mastery of beautiful chord/song progressions, within the comfort of his own little folk-rock bubble. Maybe he could have tried something new, but for now at least, I'm totally content with the what he's been offering. Plus it's something I've had on repeat for a while, so I see no reason to give it anything under an 8.
-Julian
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