Who knew that all The Strokes needed to remain on top of the indie world was a theremin? The jaded among us may be wondering this upon hearing "Famous Last Words," the third track on Deerhunter's new EP, Rainwater Cassette Exchange. But Deerhunter, unlike so many hype today gone tomorrow bands, are not primarily early ’00’s nostalgia suppliers. Deerhunter haven't even truly morphed into The Strokes. They still make swoony, weird, drony songs, and thank golly for that.
After the lush deceptions that are the reggae-tinged title track and two Strokes homages---"Disappearing Ink" and the aforementioned "Famous Last Words"---the two closing songs, "Game of Diamonds" and "Circulation", revert back to a sound akin to last year's blissful Microcastles/Weird Era Cont.. Seeing as that album was one of 2009's best, this is certainly not an unwelcome return.
In spite of all five songs appearing to be about maladies, the almost ‘60’s girl group poppiness that features in the Deerhunter sound pacifies the listener enough to keep consternation at bay. Frontman Bradford Cox's vocals---while lacking in range---are wonderfully expressive, and serve as another key to alleviation. No one today comes as close to reproducing the lovelorn weariness of a Mary Weiss as he. As Cox sings, "No one ever walked with me/I got so tired on my feet/I lay drunk on the Bowery" in "Game of Diamonds," the listener is there, sighing along on the filthy ground.
What’s next for Deerhunter’s noise-inflected dream pop is wide open to conjecture, but Rainwater Cassette Exchange gives us confidence that the band will prove once again that the indie hysteria is valid.
Level of Disappointment: 3; it's five songs! You can't go wrong with that!
Watch: See, even David Lynch loves 'em.
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