The Thousands

Ah the internet. What a cruel bitch.

Atlanta Georgia’s Deerhunter rose to notoriety thanks in part to bloggers worldwide raving about last year’s CRYPTOGRAMS and their incendiary live show. They became cult favorites, and outspoken lead singer/songwriter Bradford Cox became an unlikely – though well deserved – indie rock cover boy.

But what the internet giveth it may taketh away. Complications involving online IT leaks of new material mean that much of their net savvy fanbase downloaded new double album MICROCASTLE / WEIRD ERA CONT months ago.**Good thing it’s one of the most accomplished new albums in years. Building on the experimentation and soundscapes of CRYPTOGRAMS, MICROCASTLE / WEIRD ERA focuses more on songs – and great songs at that. It combines the violent shoegaze of CRYPTOGRAMS with Pavement/Polvo-style indie pop.

This is one of those albums you really can’t get enough of. Most striking are the deft incorporation of 50s style pop melodies and what feels like a real sense of purpose. This doesn’t feel like a collection of aggressively progressive sound experiments, or fashionable poses, or get rich quick singles. It feels like an album that was willed into being.

And that, my internet friends, is a rare thing.