Archive2003-2006

Long before Daniel Rossen joined Grizzly Bear, he and roommate Fred Nicolaus spent their college days tinkering about with samples and software. Their first full album ( The Cold Nose) brought them a niche following, but 2008's In Ear Parksent Grizzly Bear fans scrambling for their back catalogue.

The material collected here is a welcome addition to that chronology. While there are definite clues as to the direction Rossen's other band would take (elements of Practice Room Sketch 1would become the basis for Grizzly Bear's Easier), DOE are prone to travelling to further extremes along the musical spectrum. The Practice Room Sketches( 3and 4, anyway) are unfussy and piano-led, while Flipis a surprisingly giddy guitar celebration. Their loose-limbed, symphonic pop gets under the skin, and this mood-shifting miscellany has deservedly been dusted off.

See departmentofeagles.com

Download tracks: Deadly Disclosure, Practice Room Sketch 4