Deerhunter have always been a band so unique that defining their sound in the context of contemporaries is difficult. ""Atmospheric punk"" is how the band describes themselves, but this term barely scrapes the tip of the iceberg that is the signature sound created by Bradford Cox and his bandmates. Halcyon Digest, the fifth proper full-length from this Atlanta quartet, finds Deerhunter expanding the horizons of their sonic landscape while distilling their songwriting into some of their most poignant and affecting material to date.
What makes Halcyon Digest more accessible and memorable than Deerhunter's previous releases is its ability to sound both spontaneous and intentional. The atmospheric flourishes that emerge from the periphery on ""Revival,"" the album's standout track and first single, augment the texture, song structure and pop sensibility of the track. Clocking in at just over two minutes, ""Revival"" displays Deerhunter's newfound ability to be concise and affective in their songwriting.
As ""Sailing"" fades in, Cox's moaned and immediate lyrics follow in the vein of his previous autobiographical material, while suggesting a new theme of hope in the face of desperation. ""Only fear could make you feel lonely out here,"" he croons ""you learn to accept whatever you can get.""
""Desire Lines"" finds Deerhunter using guitar riffs to hypnotizing effect. The song builds from dynamic interplay between guitar, bass and drums into a looping soundscape that's both psychedelic and dense.
Throughout Halcyon Digest, Deerhunter display their ability to blend many diverse sounds and genres in a seamless LP format. Garage rock and electronic instrumentation sit side-by-side with soulful vocals and even a saxophone solo, yet nothing feels forced or out of place. As a result of this lush diversity, each listening reveals new discoveries and leads the listener ever deeper into the mysterious, hauntingly enchanted world of Deerhunter.
""Helicopter"" sounds like a Technicolor dream where billowy, reverb-heavy guitars and Cox's falsetto unfurl majestically and swell to a tidal wave that breaks over the listener, rising and falling with the verses and choruses. Half-intelligible lyrics cloak the seemingly sunny sound of the song in an air of mystery, an effective use of studio production that complements Cox's vocal stylings and, in succeeding, sets Deerhunter apart from other bands that employ this murky vocal production technique.
Halcyon Digest's honed-in sound is the natural result of Deerhunter's maturation and Cox's development as a songwriter. Critics of this album will point out that it is less experimental because of its accessible pop hooks, but what is lost in unpredictability is gained in the full realization of what Deerhunter has been doing all along: creating hauntingly beautiful melodies and casting them against an unconventional canvas of sound. Furthermore, all the songs on the album have a unique underlying feeling, making each song memorable in its own right.
Halcyon Digest closes with its lengthiest track, ""He Would Have Laughed,"" which is perhaps the clearest indication of Deerhunter's maturity. After 45 seconds of instrumental buildup, Cox confesses, ""Only bored as I get older, find new ways to spend my time ... can you help me figure this out?"" If we take this to be autobiographical, one can only hope Cox continues to have excessive free time. It has led to the fruition of Deerhunter, the culmination of nine years of development from a young band with a blood-soaked frontman to a fully realized group of musicians proficient in letting their individual instruments contribute to but not overwhelm their songs. This maturity, combined with their most affecting songwriting to date, makes Halcyon Digest an overwhelming success and a testament to the high level of music Deerhunter is capable of making.
