Deerhoof cut through all the average malarkey and get straight to the point.
They have been doing this in two decades and their 11th studio album Breakup
Song is no different. Their recent discography has been cluttered by
sentimental contemporary music. Deerhoof vs. Evil and Offend Maggie
are somewhat accessible albums, from a noise rock perspective. Deerhoof are the
harsh, glitch version of Xiu Xiu, and with Breakup Song that feel of
experimental/IDM music really shows.
At less than 30 minutes, Breakup Song becomes one of the shortest Deerhoof albums.
In all respect, short and sweet beats long and sour. "Breakup Songs" opens
with a very heavy and sporadic, electronic beat with lots of noise. Bassist and
vocalist Satomi Matsuzaki highlights her soft nature, in comparison to the hard
instrumental. Her voice has been a staple mark of Deehoof and recently extended
her horizons as guest vocalist on The Go! Team's "Secretary
Song". Like the opening track, "There's That Grin" resembles a
heavy, synth heavy and noisy instrumental. There's this easy going and light keyboard
riff, which mixes with the heavy instrumental and a brilliant guitar riff on
the left, then right side of the speaker as the drum kit really lightens things
up. Structure is nowhere to be seen as the track thrashes between guitar riffs
and electronic drum beat and an actual drum beat.
Childlike noises are ever-present in Deerhoof's music, with "Bad Kids
To The Front" having several moments of innocent instrumental. There are
moments of pure beauty, and then there’s moments of sheer noise; a brilliant
mix of the good, bad and what you might prefer in Deerhoof's musical content.
“Zero Seconds Pause" is similar in style. A loud bass riff opens the track
with synthesizers and a very abrasive percussion in the background. This is one
of the dance-like tracks on the album, and also one of my favourites.
"Mothball The Fleet" is a highlight right at the centre of the
album. The synth jabs sound a little out of place, but the acoustic avant-garde
like instrumentation is ear catching. We hear the odd electric guitar riff here
and there, like with "Flower". This track is far more jazz orientated
with an emphasis on the structure, or lack-there-of. "To Fly or Not to
Fly" is a much louder, distorted and heavier track. The synths enter
almost instantly, with Satomi's light vocal sitting nicely over the sparkly
beat. The little jabs of noise are welcomed and show a more dynamic side of
this rather lucid album.
After the excitement of To Fly or Not to Fly, Breakup Song seems to fall
down to its knees. The following track "The Trouble With Candyhands"
is a funky track, but offers little new to Deerhoof's astounding calibre.
"We Do Parties" is rather similar to many of the tracks here. The
back half of this album sounds rushed and a little bit flat when compared to
the first half. I don't think it's unfair to say that there's a lack of idea
and imagination on tracks like We Do Parties and "Fкte d'Adieu". The
second to last track "Mario's Flaming Whiskers III", is somewhat of a
saviour when rating the back half of this album. There's this intense
instrumental section which is full of high-pitched noises and heavy bass beats.
'Deerhoof are one of those bands' - That’s what you expect me to say isn't
it? Well for the most part Breakup Song is a fresh look at indie rock with an
electronic edge. The noise is not extinct from Breakup Song, but it's hardly
identifiable. The synthesizers have taken over from guitars and the last few
albums have shown this steady change in direction and musical style. Deerhoof
are indeed one of those bands that you either love or hate. More importantly, they’re
a band that you either understand or don't understand. Breakup Song is an
album that's not hard to understand, however it is hard to see its purpose.
~Eddie
6.9
