Deerhunter Monomania

Deerhunter's latest record, Monomania, finds the band furthering their exploration of atmospheric sounds juxtaposed with stripped down pop and melodic punk. If anything, the vibe of Deerhunter in 2013 is a little leaner, perhaps even stripped down in comparison to their work on Halcyon Digest though the band tosses in plenty of charred guitars and dreamy organs which keeps this from becoming their "back-to-basics" record. Perhaps their sound is getting closer to the side project, Atlas Sound or influenced by the resurgence of psyche rock and garage rock by way of Thee Oh Sees or Ty Segall. While songs like "Leather Jacket II" and "Pensacola" are coarse and instantly likeable for their lineage to Cryptograms and earlier incarnations of the band, there are also the ethereal arpeggios of "T.H.M." and the wistfulness of "Dream Catcher" which puts Bradford Cox's melodic sensibilities and delayed voice on full display. New addition to the group Josh McKay, (Macha, A.T.E.M.), may just be the secret to the brilliance of Monomania as his bass playing is consistently melodic and perfectly rich while McKay also adds lovely organs to the lovely yet insubordinate "Back to the Middle." There isn't a clear distinction that separates Monomania from its predecessors but Deerhunter have failed to make a sub-par record and their latest effort is just further proof of the bands consistently rewarding output. Buy your copy of Monomania here.