Deerhoof
“Friendship Opportunity”
KILL ROCK STARS RECORDS
It is typical of Deerhoof album reviews that the band’s move from esoteric to pop music is bemoaned while the album itself is increasingly celebrated for its pop accessibility. Though its newest release, “Friend Opportunity,” is the group’s ninth album in a career that has lasted 13 years, it is only since the 2002 release of “Reveille” that Deerhoof has achieved widespread notability. It is a paradox of sorts: Why is Deerhoof, as celebrated as it’s become, always claimed to be redrawing the line between noise and pop as its albums edge more toward composition than ever before? Why can’t we just call them a pop band and be done with it?
The answer may be controversial.
Deerhoof is comprised of practiced musicians: vocalist Satomi Matsuzaki, guitarist John Dieterich and drummer Greg Saunier. Their songs are sometimes masterful, alternating stark melodies seamlessly, but the problem arises in the plain fact that their albums just aren’t that enjoyable.
Inarguably, Deerhoof is a great noise band. It juxtaposes abstraction with structure, all with a messy, whimsical spirit. Matsuzaki’s girlish falsetto and her lyrics, at times philosophical, at other times irreverent, are a welcome reprieve from the cadre of 22-year-olds that take themselves too seriously without saying anything at all.
This is simply to say that “Friend Opportunity” has appeal. Even by the standards of pop, it has high moments in which it redefines what exactly in music is catchy. On the first track, “The Perfect Me,” and second track, “+81,” Deerhoof changes keys like most bands switch chords. Still, Deerhoof has yet to make a uniformly engaging album despite the band members’ obvious talent.
“Believe E.S.P.” builds momentum with irregular cowbell beats, metal chord progressions, and Matsuzaki’s signature crooning. It is a dramatic and singular song whose only shortcoming lies in the chorus’ lack of ingenuity. Another track, “Choco Fight,” floats with its fairy tale lyrics, synth pulses, and funk melody but lacks momentum. And in keeping with this lack of cohesiveness, “Cast Off Crown” begins with heavy, interrupting riffs, progresses to a catchy, synthesizer-assisted melody, and within 45 seconds degenerates into arpeggios and slow-paced, swooning lyrics that sound trite.
Deerhoof’s “Friend Opportunity” is both energetic and inventive but its playfulness detracts from the songs. It is evident from their musicianship that Deerhoof is capable of a truly great pop album, and it is for that reason that Deerhoof won’t be ignored, even if “Friend Opportunity” isn’t it.