Album Reviews

Whereas you could still hear the echoes of Band Of Horses lingering on Grand Archives’ debut album, this time around Mat Brooke has made the gap between his project and his collaboration with Ben Bridwell even wider, evermore embracing the neo-folk direction he’s been aiming for.

The songs on “Keep In Mind Frankenstein” all gently trickle along with the ghost of Simon & Garfunkel never too far away in songs like “Witchy Park / Tomorrow Will (Take Care Of Itself)” and the lap steel whipping up a country feel in songs like “Oslo Novelist” or “Dig That Crazy Grave”. The vocal harmonies on this album are nothing but stunning with both Sera Cahoone and Jenn Ghetto from Brooke’s first band Carissa’s Wierd helping out on several songs.

It’s all very slick, poppy, easy to swallow and nothing but beautiful. If this is what we will get to hear from Grand Archives in the future, I absolutely don’t mind him leaving Band Of Horses.