Grand Archives

The Grand Archives (Sub Pop)

Singer Mat Brooke, formerly of Band of Horses and Carissa’s Wierd, embraces the sunlight so rare to his home base of Seattle, leading his merry quintet on a journey to the happy place with a peaceful, warm, and affecting debut. The affirming nature of this urban indie rock pastoral can be summed up with “George Kaminski,” titled in honor of a Pennsylvania inmate who holds the Guinness World Record for most four-leaf clovers collected (72,927 from the grass of prison yards). Sings Brooke, “I’ll leave these clovers buried in the ground for you to find next time around,” lionizing Kaminski as a Johnny Appleseed of hope, a lovely metaphor for these trying times. The overall project of The Grand Archives, it seems, is to find the little ray of sunshine hidden in the remotest corners, to nurture and embrace it, and spread its warmth via a serene musical embrace. (Friday, March 14, Bourbon Rocks, 10pm.)

***.5

This article appears in March 14 • 2008.

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