celebrate the body electric

So I’ve decided to abandon focusing solely on photos as opposed to posting my thoughts and opinions about things simply because it is too hard to come up with interesting photos to post. I can, however, write about all sorts of interesting things. Like the new Deerhunter album!

It was announced a few months back that Deerhunter would be recording a new album, Microcastle, despite rumors of a breakup. And in April, the band performed the album in it’s entirety at a Todd P show in Brooklyn.

Fast forward to the beginning of June, when the album leaks to the internet months ahead of schedule, before any release date had even been set. Many listeners were afraid of what they might hear, not because of the actual songs, but because of the fact that it was such an early leak, which may be indicative of a lower quality or incomplete recording.

I’ve listened to the album and I can say whole heartedly that it is some of the best material I have listened to this year. Microcastle is definitely a step in a different direction than Cryptograms and the excellent Fluorescent Grey EP. But these differences don’t necessarily mean a change in what we should expect. Bradford Cox has essentially shown us what he is capable of, with his solo/side project Atlas Sound. The ambient noises and effects have largely been turned down, but not completely off. What we have now is more of a focus on Deerhunter being a rock band on their record. Fuzzy guitars continue to swirl, but Cox’s voice takes a much larger role. He has said “he was sick of using effects pedals and found himself turning more and more to a clean guitar,” which is definitely noticeable on tracks like “Agoraphobia” and the beginning of the album’s standout track “Never Stops.” Fans of their old sound don’t have to worry for very long into this song however, as Deerhunter’s shoegazing sound burns its way through the gentle pop vocals and guitar.

Overall, this album feels both familiar and completely fresh to someone who has enjoyed, but not fallen in love with, their previous works. I can now say that I’m entirely enamored with Bradford Cox’s talent and his somewhat nonsensical methods. By releasing songs on his blog at a rate that rivals Lil’ Wayne’s mixtape output, he has allowed himself the creative freedom to explore every type of sound, while in the process, collecting the cream of that material to channel through Deerhunter.

Since this is an extremely early leak, I expect certain aspects to change by the release date, but overall the majority of the work can be heard. This is absolutely one album that I expect to not only purchase, but pre-order, once it is available.