Music

Album Review - Deerhoof, 'La Isla Bonita'

 

Always avant-garde and a little cheeky, San Francisco’s Deerhoof have made their most accessible record yet. La Isla Bonita (Polyvinyl) files down their quirks without rendering them dull. The spastic drums of Greg Saunier and the wormy riffs of guitarists John Dietrich and Ed Rodriguez are ever present— but they veer off the track less often than past offerings.

 

Vocalist Satomi Matsuzaki still plays up her dolly-cute delivery on Deerhoof’s 12th album. The dawning of the record, “Paradise Girls,” celebrates women behind the bass (Matsuzaki included). And she morphs her fey voice into a mature coo in the restless “Black Pitch,” over Saunier’s undulating rhythms and the twin guitars’ jangle.

 

Nothing on La Isla Bonita (or earlier works) is weird for weirdness’ sake. Deerhoof don’t know how to be anything but exploratory. If a melody or stanza is sounding too standard, it zigzags into beautiful chaos. For example, “Tiny Bubbles” starts as a gothic surf-jazz composition but then takes a detour into Dirty Projectors territory. The band always sounds like they’re on the brink of losing the plot, but there’s a method to the madness.

 

It’s the dissonant chords and charming vocal stylings that keep Deerhoof in their own category. “Last Fad” is the Deerhoof-iest tune on the album, characterized by Matsuzaki’s nonsense lyrics (“Baseball is canceled; ET is running late,” she chimes) and the whining, clashing runs of Rodriguez and Dietrich.

 

It’s a triumph that a group so off their rocker could continue to produce such spellbinding and consistent music over two decades. But Deerhoof accomplish that, and La Isla Bonita stays afloat amid their overall catalog.

More from Melissa Bobbitt (See All)
Permalink to
Music
PhantEye's Best of 2012 Music Picks
  Melissa Bobbitt      0

The prophesied end times sure made for some great music in 2012. Bands we never thought would get back together finally put out new material (No Doubt, Soundgarden). The international community breathed a Psy...

Dec 3, 2012

Permalink to
Music
Occur Goes Global - The Music of Canada
  Melissa Bobbitt      0

O Canada! To narrow down the massive number of gifted artists from the North American nation to just five is daunting. From the prog-fathers Rush to hip-hop heartthrob Drake, to the legendary Neil Young and...

Feb 15, 2016