Deerhunter - Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?
Updated: Nov 12, 2019
2019
Neo-Psychedelia / Indie
4AD
This is a lovely little album of well-executed psychedelia and indie pop, and quite a distance in tone from the hazy neo-psych of Halcyon Digest, Deerhunter's strongest work, and farther still from the noisy thickness of Cryptograms. Harpsichords, synthesizers, and pianos dominate the mix this time around. The atmosphere they create is quite comforting and unique. There is a general level of musicality to this band, so that everything they produce is of a certain quality. At the very least they are always pleasant to listen to. This album in particular goes down easy, but there are some darker shades to the lyrics and to some of the soundscapes -- the album artwork certainly purports to convey a sense of grimness and chaos -- that add an aura of foreboding and dread. It's a great combination, and there are no bad songs among the ten pieces here. While it may not be as expansive or as ambitious as some of their other releases, WHEAD shows that Bradford Cox and company have plenty of interesting ideas left and the drive to continue creating interesting and challenging music well into their second decade as a group.
