Deerhunter’ second release Cryptograms is a brilliant album; scorched, innovative, and searing with musical question marks. I think it heralded a new sound in indie-rock; wall-of-sound colliding with spiraling guitar drones and claustrophobic resonance, slanted neo-pop lyricisms wafting throughout. Upon its arrival it risked being overlooked purely because of its daring, because daring is mostly overlooked you see.
Microcastle has, though been anticipated, and was never likely to be overlooked. The disappointment for me comes in the fact that Deerhunter’ follow-up recalls the less worthy Broken Social Scene, whose albums continually suggest brilliance but in hindsight lack it.
Bradford Cox’ ideas on Microcastle seem also to lack a little; they are never so complete as they may have become with a little more patience and consideration. That said, what is here that is great echoes of transcendent pop, like the exquisite Achy Green Jacket and the opening shivers of Cover Me (slowly).
Maybe it’s simply my heady expectations getting in the way, but Microcastle is not the glorious gem that it should have been. Its occasional glistening is momentary and the brimming pop simply brimming and not genius. Yet, Microcastle is still streets ahead of many others for sound quality, textural and tonal nuance, and simply for being a little fuzzy. Not restrained by their drone/shoe-gazing inferences of the past, Deerhunter solidify their statement of intent via the single Nothing Ever Happened, and it breaks ranks with its strident rhythms and verse/chorus flow, a little like Robert Pollard fronting The Pixies (a dream for some), but the potential of this tune is lost as it winds on without good reason.
Weird Era Continued is the bonus disc and for all intents and purposes replicates the suggestion that Microcastle could be more fully realised, sounding as much like a collection of demos as it does a finished record. Word has it that Weird Era Continued was added to the “package’ after Cox leaked Microcastle to fans online early in 2008, some six months before the formal street release date. Its addition offers little to what should have been the album of 2008.
All the same, Microcastle is still a minor highlight amongst recent comparable indie releases, but a highlight IS a highlight.
Steve Phillips
