FRIEND OPPORTUNITY

I have not reviewed an album for a while and i would not normally consider rating an album like this that is so underground and that i am not yet entierly familiar with. It however has occured to me that the majority of reviewers on this site have missed the point of deerhoofs music, and understandably so at that. Deerhoof, to me, seem to be a better fit for Avant or Math Rock (as they are often catagorized) and as another reviewer pointed out they have little if anything in relation to Crossover. Deerhoof is a band focoused on creating catchy pop tunes out of dissonance and dancable beats out of odd time signatures and quirky phrazing. Their vocalist is meant to sound untrained, she lends a bit of legitimacy to their twisted nurcery rhymes. The greatest intrest however lies in Greg Saunir, their conservatory trained drummer who lends a more intelligent rhythmic touch to their otherwise punkish sound.

The symplistic melodies lend to the music rather than detract, but only if you consider the purpose behind the music. To create an epic? not likely. To tell a story? Obviously not. To show off technical playing? laughable. To explore different musical outlooks? I like to think so. The reason this band has been recieving such low ratings is that its music is being viewed through the wrong lens, partly because of its genre placement in this site.

As for this CD its self I enjoy it, i think it contains many interesting ideas and unusual playing. Standout tracks include Cast Off Crown, Look Away, and The Galaxist. A great CD, but far from Deerhoofs best work, four stars!