Review Summary: Deerhunter's Cryptograms treads the line of mainstream accessibility in an ambient journey of pop and shoegaze.
Standing there with a frail framed body, in all of his (at the time her, with a lovely Sunday dress) glory, the awkwardly placed vocalist began to mesmerize the crowd. Meanwhile, the bassist decided to pull one out of the “how to be cool” textbook by smoking a cigarette during the performance while pumping out smooth bass riffs. As the guitars began resonating with ambient noise, the sound translated into a harmonic masterpiece that filled the air while the drumming was the proverbial heartbeat. This was my first encounter with Deerhunter. Regardless of how strange it seemed, the sound was something else, something more, and something I finally understood after listening to their latest full-length album, Cryptograms.
Their album contains hazy ambient tracks like, Intro, Red Ink, White Ink, and Providence, that swirls into a daze similar to a Sonic Youth track. After each mystifying track that is primarily ambiance (tracks one, three, five, seven), there lies a stunning song. Starting with the track Cryptograms, one of the many catchy songs that laced with a slick bass riff played by Josh Fauver. In fact, for the majority of the album, the mood is relaxed, followed by bursts of energy with each chorus sung. With each verse or chorus that passes, eerie vocal work hovers over every note. This can go hand and hand with the first half of the album that tends to be a bit on the slower side as far as pacing. A main reason is primarily the ambient and yet subtly melodic tracks butting in between songs; yet it still maintains its composure. In spite of everything, it is hard to miss tracks like Lake Somerset and Octet anyway. After all, both songs contain gorgeous, clean guitar riffs that intertwine the pulsating beats and smooth bass lines that create a moving atmosphere. That same atmosphere flows into Red Ink, which has a fantastic ending, which is the prelude for the album to build momentum.
After which, the truly accessible tracks are embedded at the end of the album, starting with Spring Hall Convert and Strange Lights, which push the likes of indie pop at times with their upbeat manner and catchy riffs. More so, the sound of Strange Lights reminds me of a tiny band named Of Montreal with its pop attitude. The dazzling clean vocal work and lively instrumental work creates a saga of a continual ending when the volume stays the same until it finally, and abruptly fades out. In addition, the difference in sound from the first half infers a question of whether the mood within the band changed or they simply stored away a well-kept secret of their musical endeavors. Hazel St. and Heatherwood are no different in their agenda of ripe enjoyment with the use simplistic and effective guitar work. It is hard to believe the unparallel sound between the two halves of the album, it is reminiscent of a fog leaving a bay that is usually streaming with liveliness.
Cryptogram’s contains songs with an unreal accessibility when compared to the noise-oriented tracks that bleakly began the album. However, that is a good thing. After all, as of late too many albums cannot maintain their stamina throughout an entire time span when Deerhunter manages to build something stronger as the minutes elapse. On a final note, the album ends with lyrics muttering, ‘…was not seen again,’ which could be fitting if Cryptograms does not catch on soon to the music community. I hope that phrase turns to irony when it is seen again, and again, for a long time to come.
