Grand Archives Grand Archives
An urgent but atmospheric dose of indie pop, Grand Archives’ self-titled debut is a throwback […]
An urgent but atmospheric dose of indie pop, Grand Archives’ self-titled debut is a throwback from the future. Mat Brooke’s airy, measured folk vocals recall everything from The Band and The Beach Boys to After the Gold Rush-era Neil Young, but he’s less a copycat than a crate digger, mashing chilled rock genes with the genre modifications of postmodern music. The slow burn of “Swan Matches” lightly lulls you into the time machine, while the poignant, Mercury Rev-like “George Kaminski” and “Torn Blue Foam Couch” locks the door. But the unplugged stomp of “Breezy No Breezy” skews strange enough to make Grand Archives’ debut an original hybrid for the 21st century.