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Breakup Song
(2012)
why you'll love it: glitchy, spazzy fun. As approachable as this band gets
why you'll hate it: buncha silly nonsense, can give headaches
If you've been reading this blog, and haven't just stumbled across this entry, you've probably heard of Deerhoof by now. They're either a band madly praised or vilified for their against-the-grain indie rock style. Abrasive, chaotic, nauseatingly cute, or artsy for art's sake. Very little of what Deerhoof does could be considered mainstream friendly; which is why it's weird that I find this album incredibly catchy from start to finish.
Breakup Song is basically a dance party album, only a party where nobody knows how to dance. It's janky and broken, but has this inviting tone that instantly lets you know it's all for fun. Deerhoof's abrasiveness can sometimes be mistaken as a threatening rebellious statement, or laughable lack of talent. There are a lot of layers to this release, and a lot more studio mojo than usual. You can tell the songs have been practiced and refined, despite how wacky they sound. Satomi Matsuzaki continues not to hide her heavy Japanese accent while singing, but this time stays away from the notes we all know she could never hit. She comes off here sounding really good! For the first time ever, I've found myself highly enjoying lyrics in a Deerhoof song. There are some great lines here, for both their catchy delivery and striking mental imagery.
Because of these two factors, haters are going to have a much tougher time tearing down this release. That doesn't mean Deerhoof have compromised anything. Actually, it's a return back to the bewildering irreverent the songs from The Runners Four (2005) and Milk Man (2004) seemed to have. I remember when Friend Opportunity (2007) was released, people made a big deal about how it was Deerhoof's big break, as far as exposure goes, writing catcher songs, softening the distortion, and having MUCH larger production scope. If anything, Breakup Song is a more successful version of Friend Opportunity. It's catchier. It gets its point across better. It also sounds much more like the fuzzy and gritty Deerhoof fans love, and less like a fish out of water.
I haven't said much about the songs themselves on this release. They're short and sweet. The whole album spans just under a half hour. Every song comes as quickly as it goes, but leaves just a little something to remember it by. Again, i love the studio effects they added here. They distract from the talents of the band's rhythm section a bit, but it's a very original sound. The electronics sound like those boombox toys from the 90s that had over-compressed hip-hop beats piping out of a cheap speaker.
What I love most about this album his how amazingly strong it ends. Think about some of your favorite albums, and how many of them have those first three or four songs that just kill you. I think of Scream Dracula Scream by Rocket From The Crypt before anything. The way those first few songs just steamroll you over…
A cool thing about Breakup Song is the groove it works itself into with the LAST few songs (starting with the wacky salda-dance street party, "The Trouble With Candyhands"), with each one passing the baton to the next with no real time to breathe. "We Do Parties" is the boom to "…Candyhands"'s fuse, and "Mario's Flaming Wiskers III" is the fuzzy aftermath. In the last few moments of the track, there is an amazing transition into the closer-ballad, "Fête d'Adieu" (another song with great lyrics and perfect vocal delivery). The way this album ends makes you just want to push play and start it all over again.
Breakup Song isn't a mind-opening masterpiece. Definitely not a musically substantive as their last two albums. It's a big dumb party. But it knows its a big dumb party; and that confidence and execution makes this one of the most enjoyable albums of the year.
