Written by Spike Sidor

YOU BELONG THERE

Daniel Rossen You Belong There Album Review Cover

DANIEL ROSSEN

2022 CHAMBER-FOLK/INDIE-FOLK

You Belong There is the debut album from Daniel Rossen of late aughts indie-folk powerhouse Grizzly Bear. Of course they made music well past that period but when people talk about the band they talk about ‘06 and ‘09, of Yellow House and Veckatimest. The former a multi-layered folk tapestry of vivid colors and intricate patterns, the latter an extension towards the mainstream with sticky rhythms that propelled them onto public radio stations and billboard lists alike. They were undeniably great but that was a long time ago, even their latest less memorable stuff was a half decade ago. Yes, Rossen isn’t Grizzly Bear but he was one of their primary songwriters and his bandmate, Christopher Bear, helped make this new record so it stands that there will be similarities. It is still folk based but the dense yet soft psychedelia of yesteryear is gone and in its place is luscious orchestration. Both have a palpable delicateness, before waves of cool hues washed over your senses, now more traditional dulcet singing and strings.

Truth be told I wasn’t very interested in this project, the last two releases from Grizzly Bear were solid “mehs” and so often these transitions to solo work lead to much of the same but the first moments of the opening song hooked me in. A chilly atmosphere beside deftly plucked acoustic guitar, sure it was only the first minute but it was captivating enough for me to give the next forty-four minutes an uninterrupted shot. The album features all manner of instrumentation such as woodwinds, strings, piano, guitar, and more as you would expect from a symphonic affair. The production is crisp, as this type of music requires, and Rossen sings in concise prose of the things on the mind of many aging artists, old flames, the past, an uncertain future, and his newfound love of the American countryside. It’s all quite quaint, at times compelling but mostly a pretty piece of art that doesn’t pull me in. I see it on a walk through of a gallery, stop for a moment and give it a barely audible “hm”, nod my head in passing approval, and move on.

The opener, It’s A Passage, begins with the aforementioned intro that I adore so much before shifting to a core of serene poetry. It has that feeling of the beginning of a journey both sonically and topically as Rossen muses about finding a new way through life. 

So start again (Somewhere in search of a clearing)
Love in mind (It’s a passage)
Seen through lost and open eyes

Tumbling into view comes Shadow in the Frame doling out a heavy dose of climate change anxiety via natural disasters. The song swells and recedes like a leaf on the wind. One moment gliding along a swift gust and another being nudged amongst the grass by a few gentle wisps. Surprisingly the title track is much shorter than the rest, a sort of detour of trembling percussion. The vocals barely exist as they lie low in the busy mix and say nothing of interest. That’s a good summary of the whole thing, nothing of interest. I was hoping its tense mood would move into the next song, Unpeopled Space, but nope. Regardless of its predecessor it’s a highlight of the listing. It’s about exactly what its name suggests. Rossen’s eyes are opening to new beauty as he soaks in a simpler life in the rolling hills. I really like the instrumental, especially the rushing pitter patter of its drumming. It’s like a bumpy drive down a rural road, trees closely lining both sides, the windows down and a refreshing breeze soothing your body before pulling into the rocky drive of our destination as it fades out.

The lyrical themes stay but the tone takes a hard left on Celia. Morose is the word. A low bellowing sadness that is so dramatic it approaches theater. The fingerpicked guitar on here is nice I suppose but I am a sucker for that kind of thing, past that it’s an empty feeling. It feels weird to call it the bright piano arpeggios that open Tangle, shocking but as that follow-up to Celia it is just that. It has an odd sinister quality like a chase scene in an artsy horror flick, but this tone never makes another appearance. We go from that to a desperate romance with tangling branches being compared to lovers arms. Yeah it’s a little cliché but the real problem is a general lack of intrigue. At least the I’ll Wait For Your Visit builds upon this line of thought lyrically but it’s all in a terse vagueness that leaves me feeling totally detached from the songwriting.

Right
Back to the old ways
Back in line
Hold tight
To this ancient axe we grind
There’s no way out

Seven minutes for the tired old subject of a soured relationship. The instrumental would have to be a knockout to save this and unsurprisingly it’s not close to doing so. Ethereal synths and the echoing reverb of Rossen’s vocals circle through the clouds on Keeper and Kin. It’s like a dream but one where by the time the morning comes you can scarcely remember a detail. Woah a song called The Last One that’s the second to last track. How funny, but seriously I don’t think it was on purpose as it is an appropriate title for the deep sigh of sentimentality that it is. Rossen’s voice shakes and his guitar cries over lost love, again. The closer, Repeat the Pattern, is a new look as it sways under a playful breeze before seamlessly returning to a familiar sorrowfulness. It’s a cool trick but on second go around it’s not entertaining anymore. On top of that, more bland poetry about the countryside and the cycles of life make me glad the end is near.

You Belong There is an intelligent album, expertly crafted and assembled and yet when the headphones come off I’m left with indifference. Not to downplay his experiences but the crux of it is that there is no personality and not a hook in sight to try to make up for it.  No moment where I think about clever word play, an enthralling story, or powerful emotion, and only a few times where I am at a state of mild appreciation of the compositions.  It’s pretty and certainly worth a listen but I can’t imagine it lingering with me after today. 

6/10

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