西雅圖的華盛頓以很多東西聞名于世，其中不包含陽光。這張來自翡翠城的五人樂隊Grand Archives的首張同名專輯卻充滿著明亮光澤和溫暖——陰沉的時候不需要配上同樣陰沉的音樂。 樂隊的歌手兼吉他手Mat Brookes 先前組建過的 Band of Horses、Carissas Wierd 都以行事低調而著稱，但是他現在的這支樂隊卻一改前風。當然，這支樂隊可不是什么空穴來風。就如同產生永恒的經典作品 the Mamas & the Papas 或 the Turtles 的一樣，這支樂隊建立在美好的希望、高揚的斗志和相互間的友情之上。 2006年9月，Mat Brooke 加上他的朋友的三人組合，成立了Grand Archives ，隊員包括鼓手 Curtis Hall (the Jeunes),貝司手 Jeff Montano (the New Mexicans)和鍵盤兼吉他手 Ron Lewis (Ghost Stories)他們有著共同的遠大理想，想讓他們的作品真正流行起來，而不是去咒罵華盛頓的暗無天日；吉他手Thomas Wright 隨后也加入進來。他們的第一場演出，是作為一周之中的慰勞演出的最后一支樂隊，他們表演了五首作品。第二次，他們是作為 Modest Mouse 在西雅圖歷史悠久的“派拉蒙劇院”演出的暖場嘉賓。一點點的摸索與嘗試讓 Brooke 獲得了認可。但是他們對將來沒有太大期望。 Grand Archives 要的只是在全球小范圍的巡演，偶爾在那些舒適的旅館小歇片刻，最重要的是找到他們的作品的真正知音。這不是一個很過分的要求，而且已經實現了，在Vitamin D 公司的贊助下，他們想要的一切都得到了滿足。The Grand Archives 將會成為這一年中備受關注的重要角色 Though they never broke beyond a small cult audience, Seattle indie folk band Carissa's Wierd (yes, that's how they spelled it) in retrospect seem like an early indicator for the wave of largely acoustic bands partially inspired by British and American folk-rock of the '60s and '70s, from Joanna Newsom to the Decemberists. Splitting suddenly in 2003 after an eight-year tenure, the group splintered into several factions. Singer Jenn Ghetto started the lo-fi D.I.Y. project S, drummer Sera Cahoone opted for an alt-country solo career, and guitarists Mat Brooke and Ben Bridwell formed the indie rock outfit Band of Horses. Following the release of their Sub Pop debut Everything All the Time, Brooke left Band of Horses (which was primarily Bridwell's project) to form his own band. At first called simply "Archives," but quickly renamed Grand Archives, Brooke's new band featured himself on guitar and vocals, backed with bassist Jeff Montano (the New Mexicans), guitarist Curtis Hall (the Jeunes), multi-instrumentalist Ron Lewis (who maintains a solo career under the name Ghost Stories) and drummer Thomas Wright. With a sound inspired in part by '70s acts like Crosby, Stills Nash & Young and the Eagles (all five members sing), Grand Archives made their live debut in Seattle in the spring of 2007, opening for Brooke's former bandmate Cahoone. They subsequently toured with Modest Mouse while preparing their self-titled debut album for Sub Pop, which the label released in February 2008.