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October 7, 2008 - For Dan Rossen of the experimental outfit Grizzly Bear, Department of Eagles isn't just "his other band," or a mere side project. Not only does it predate his better-known band by a few years, but Grizzly Bear is more of a solo outlet anyway (there's just one other member), which allows Rossen to showcase his personal songwriting. For anyone who isn't quite sold on Grizzly Bear's hypnotic harmonies, Department of Eagles' accessible pop still glitters with captivating depth.

"No One Does It Like You" is an unexpected marriage of 1950s doo-wop and chamber-pop, saturated in nostalgia. Dichotomies abound, to the point where it's never quite clear whether the song is a celebration or a dirge. Loose, meandering vocals are laid wistfully over tight rhythms as Rossen alternately revels and laments: "I laughed so hard I fell down / I cursed these lanes I walked on." A cornucopia of instruments accompanies his slightly warbling vocals, giving the track a highly polished feel, but with just a hint of uneasy discord.

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