Grizzly Bear at Holocene, Monday, Feb. 28

Freak-folk, psychedelic-folk, new folk. This adolescent genre can feel as scattered as the nomenclature used to describe it. The new millennium has seen a wave of nostalgic sing/songwriters explore new territory while remaining firmly rooted in their ’70s-era influences. Devendra Banhart, Sufjan Stevens and Iron & Wine have all developed loyal followings with their subdued sound and earnest songwriting.

Like their peers, the boys of Grizzly Bear, who prefer the terms "wood-tempo" and "cave-core," aren’t as interested in rocking out as they are in finding the cozy nooks of music and settling in. But the songs on Horn of Plenty, the debut album from New York duo, aren’t the polished songs of Sam Beam.

Recorded largely in lead singer and songwriter Edward Droste’s bedroom, and intended only as personal hobby, Horn of Plenty took on new life with the addition of Christopher Bear, who added his technical knowledge, percussion and voice to Droste’s initial recordings. The result is a haunting collection of quirky and tender songs that transport the listener to their own autumnal woodland.

The songwriting on Horn of Plenty, while beautiful and heartfelt, takes a backseat to Droste and Bear’s creative and whimsical production. Songs like "Deep Sea Diver" manage to be both organic and urban. Horn of Plenty’s lo-fi asthetic masks its creative and nuanced production.

Rhythms are often conjured from makeshift samples and children’s instruments. The texture of Grizzly Bear’s sound is like a patchwork quilt. Droste and Bear use an eclectic array of instruments and sounds to weave their dream-like worlds; bells, glockenspiels and toy pianos are all used to great effect.

Influences like Grizzly Bear’s furry cousin Animal Collective the melodic beauty of early Elliott Smith are immediately apparent. "Merge" is the unmistakable melancholy younger brother to the Beatles’ "Golden Slumber" and the specter of Syd Barrett haunts the entire album.

But Grizzly Bear has managed to find their own sound, despite the eclecticism of every song on Horn of Plenty feels part of the whole.

Live, Grizzly Bear reaches new realms of complexity and energy, and hint at what they could become. Where the album was just two guys and a copy of Pro-Tools, live, they have added two musicians to create a new kind of richness.

The vocal harmonies that pepper Horn of Plenty are powerful live, with four voices interweaving to create a wall of sound that is at once lulling and disarming.

It’s too bad spring came so early because Horn of Plenty is the perfect album to bunker down with during the blustering winter months.