vinylfanatics.com

When Grizzly Bear announced their indefinite hiatus in 2017, fans wondered what sonic territories the band's individual members would explore in their newfound freedom. Daniel Rossen, the group's guitarist and co-songwriter whose intricate fingerpicking and ethereal vocals helped define their sound, had already dipped his toes into solo waters with the 2012 EP "Silent Hour/Golden Mile." But it would take another decade for him to fully commit to a solo statement, emerging in 2022 with "You Belong There" – an album that feels both like a natural evolution and a bold reinvention.

The origins of this record stretch back to those uncertain post-Grizzly Bear years, when Rossen found himself questioning his place in the musical landscape. After spending over a decade crafting densely layered indie rock with his bandmates, he retreated to his home studio to explore a more intimate, stripped-down approach. The album's title track, he's explained, came from a period of self-doubt about whether he belonged in music at all – a vulnerability that permeates the entire record and gives it its emotional weight.

Musically, "You Belong There" occupies a fascinating middle ground between the baroque pop sensibilities of Grizzly Bear and the folk-tinged introspection of artists like Nick Drake or Elliott Smith. Rossen's classical guitar training shines throughout, but rather than showing off, he uses his technical prowess to serve the songs' emotional needs. The arrangements breathe with space and silence, allowing his multi-tracked harmonies to float like morning mist over delicate acoustic foundations. It's chamber folk with a modernist edge, intimate enough for headphone listening but rich enough to reward deep dives into its layered production.

The album's strongest moments come when Rossen fully embraces this quieter approach. "Unpeopled Space" opens the record with a statement of intent – fingerpicked guitar patterns that recall his work on Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks," but stripped of that song's maximalist production. His vocals, always one of indie rock's most distinctive instruments, sound more vulnerable here, almost whispered at times. The song builds to a gorgeous climax where multiple vocal lines weave together like a one-man choir, creating the kind of transcendent moment that made Grizzly Bear special.

"Shadow in the Frame" might be the album's masterpiece, a meditation on memory and loss that unfolds over nearly six minutes without ever feeling indulgent. The guitar work is mesmerizing – repetitive patterns that shift subtly, creating a hypnotic effect enhanced by Rossen's most affecting vocal performance on the record. When he sings "I'm just a shadow in the frame of your memory," it feels like he's excavating something deeply personal and universal simultaneously.

The title track serves as the album's emotional centerpiece, directly addressing those feelings of displacement that sparked the record's creation. Over a bed of gently arpeggiated guitars, Rossen works through his anxieties about artistic purpose and belonging, ultimately arriving at a kind of hard-won acceptance. It's the most lyrically direct song he's ever written, and the vulnerability pays off in spades.

"Repeat the Pattern" closes the album on a note of cautious optimism, its circular guitar motifs suggesting both the comfort and trap of routine. The production here is slightly fuller than elsewhere on the record, with subtle percussion and bass adding weight to Rossen's acoustic foundation. It feels like a bridge between his solo work and his band past, hinting at possible future directions.

If the album has a weakness, it's that Rossen occasionally seems too committed to restraint. A few tracks feel almost skeletal, as if they're waiting for the full band treatment that will never come. But this minimalism is also the record's greatest strength – it forces listeners to engage with the songs on their own terms, to lean in and discover the subtle complexities hidden in seemingly simple arrangements.

"You Belong There" stands as a remarkable solo debut that justifies the decade-long wait. It's an album that grows more rewarding with each listen, revealing new melodic details and emotional depths. While Grizzly Bear fans will recognize Rossen's distinctive musical DNA, this feels like the work of an artist finally comfortable in his own skin. Whether this leads to more solo work or eventually back to band collaboration remains to be seen, but for now, Rossen has definitively answered his own question – he absolutely belongs here.