Grand Archives
Keep in Mind Frankenstein - Sub Pop
FILTER Grade: 76%

Imagine watching a sunset while huddled with friends around a campfire in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. And imagine that, despite the musicality of the breeze rustling through lush evergreens and the crackles of the flames, you decide there needs to be some tunes to accompany the evening. So you reach for your MP3 player and hope you remembered to sync Keep in Mind Frankenstein before leaving for the campgrounds.

Why? Because it’s more than folksy enough to fit the setting, and it won’t really matter if the chatter over beers and s’mores drowns much of it out. After Grand Archives’ self-titled debut last year, the Seattle-based outfit earned a rep for sunny folk-pop tunes heavy on the ’70s nostalgia. But that album was careful to mix things up, going from jaunty whistling to wistful strumming to energetic sing-along rocker. This time around, the band delivers a far more monotonous and mellow experience. Sure, kudos must be given for the graceful vocal layers and harmonies, and both parts of “Siren Echo Valley” venture into gorgeously eerie territory. But the highlights are disappointingly few, and that feels like a crime coming from a band that has already proven it is capable of more.