Review Summary: Deerhunter's latest album is arguably their best album and the best album of 2010. Their music is as inspirational to this century as The Beatles' music was last century and that's quite the accomplishment as this album is far from a let-down. Deerhunter'
Every now and then an album comes along that just hits you out of nowhere well look no further then Deerhunter’s Halcyon Digest. Deerhunter has played around with their sound each album and they took it to the next level with this one. Arguably their best album is in my opinion the best album of the 2000-2010 decade and if you look at all of the music released that decade it doesn’t seem like much but Deerhunter proves that music is not dead indeed. This album has everything right in it’s song structure, lyrics, and the overall sound. In a world of music today where almost every other artist/band sound similar Deerhunter has their own distinct sound and approach to how they do music and I can go on and on about their sound but this is about the album so let’s get to it:
1.Earthquake-5:00
The album opener starts off with an amazing build that goes into something that sounds like it should be on Microcastle but fits perfectly well on this album sort of goes on a long time but the listener will know it should be that way as it ends perfectly. The lyrics are chilling as it reminisces on an event that seemingly describes an earthquake in great detail that can get into your head and make you feel as though you’ve experienced it as well. Overall it’s a good opener to what will be an amazing album.
2.Don’t Cry-2:49
This track is the perfect follow up to “Earthquake” and really shows you that front man, Bradford Cox, can get into your head with the opening lyrics, “Come on, little boy - I am your friend
And I understand the pain you're in.” to the “Come on, kid! Keep your head up and -
(sigh)... You don't need to understand the reasons why” letting you know he truly understands you and how you feel and that you shouldn’t stress over anything because nothing really matters anyway. Overall the song has a nice feel to it different from the album opener with exception of the song’s ending which is like a mellow version of “Earthquakes” ending.
3.Revival-2:13
One of the more popular tracks on the album is Revival with a soft upbeat feel to it this song is a standout on the album. The song seems to be about religious awakening at first listen but it also seems to deal with Good vs. becoming Evil or going back to your dark ways without understanding why you cannot escape it. This is a very good song with a sound that picks the mood up.
4.Sailing-5:00
A track often looked upon as a skip track by many critics sadly is just the opposite as it stands among the best tracks on the album. It opens up with a guitar riff that sets the mood for the song with lyrics of isolation, not caring, and the fear of being alone. The lyrics let you know that Bradford has gone through this experience himself. The song is played as if they performed at an open-mic night at a poetry club. Overall this song is a standout and it will make you sit-down and listen to it no matter what’s going on around you.
5.Memory Boy-2:10
This track is pretty catchy and you’ll probably be repeating “It’s not a house anymore” by the end. The song is like George Harrison meets David Bowie in a way. The song has sort of a Scottish type horn playing as well showing a diverse sound in the song. It’s a bit unsettling and sinister like but you’ll love this song.
6.Desire Lines-6:44
Another popular track on the album creates the theme of being young and getting old and looking back on memories that Bradford intended the album to be based upon. This song is the one Deerhunter song that would fit in with bands like Arcade Fire, The Strokes, and other very popular “Indie” bands. This song has a very great sound and kind of sounds like Lockett Pundt’s solo stuff as he’s the one who sings on this track. The solo at the end is pretty great and a good way to end the song.
7.Basement Scene-3:41
My personal favorite track on the album is this song which sounds very John Lennon-esque from the sound, lyrical theme, to even the vocals at some points. The song is truly Deerhunter though and a great track that has a dream-like feel to it. The lyrics deals with the subject of Bradford living in the now and the want of not waking up and getting old to not loose these memories. But the dream turns into a nightmare as Bradford dreams of his friends demises and now wanting to wake up and then thinking of never getting old and his friends going on to grow old and sooner or later forgetting about him so now he wants to go on to get older.
8.Helicopter-4:58
The most popular track on the album lives up to the hype and proves it’s worth the popularity with everything being great from the sound, to the cryptic lyrics, and even the video. The song’s sound is somewhere between mellow and dark and while first time listeners might not pay close attention to the lyrics because of the “up” sound of the album they tell the story of a young man named Dima who had a tragic end as it goes from his point of view as he’s dying. The song itself is truly a work of art and should be listened to.
9.Fountain Stairs-2:38
This is the most dream-like song on the album and very Beach Fossil’s sounding. It’s has a surf rock vibe to it and the lyrics go with it as well. At first listen it may seem like a skip track but if you truly give it a listen you’re enjoy the song and give it several listen.
10.Coronado-3:19
A very upbeat song with a catchy piano opener that sounds very distinctive. The sound has a very late 70s early 80s vibe to it and the saxophone works wonderful for the song and is played to perfection. The upbeat song seems to over shadow the cryptic lyrics which talks of losing faith and the feeling of death and may be based upon Bradford’s real struggle with his real-life disease. Also to note is Bradfords contradicts himself with the lyric “I want to know the answers why- I ask so many questions” which goes back on what he said on “Don’t Cry.”
11.He Would Have Laughed-7:29
Possibly the highlight of the album happens to be the last track(dedicated to the late Jay Reatard) on the it. This song plays out very well with it’s amazing opening sound that goes into Bradford admitting “I get bored as get older” and dealing with him trying to deal with getting older, how usual people are(gold-digging man verse), and his personal feelings on life(Sweetness comes through Suffering). The track slowly transitions into something beautiful yet tragic at around 4:26. The sound is stripped down until the drum comes back and it turns into a different track and then Bradford sings in a dream-like shoe gazing manner in which he says things which he doesn’t know where to go and is alone. Then after a very short break he comes back singing to someone asking several questions until finally receiving an answer that gives you the impression that the person he’s singing to is just as lost and doesn’t want to know the truth but that’s just my interpretation. Then the song plays along and seems like it’s building up again but abruptly ends in the middle which might be symbolic to Jay Reatard’s untimely demise in the prime of his career. This song is easily a favorite and is great from it’s sound structure, lyrics, and ending that leaves you with a feeling of emptiness.
Overall this album has really proved that great music is still made and that meaning music is still played. This by far is my top album of 2010 and the best album of music in the 21st century.
