Review Summary: This is Deerhoof blending their most appealing aspects. The accessible side meets the side which challenges conventions, but makes for a great listening experience.
The introductory riff of this album is brilliant and forceful, and it feels like it ends all to soon. Hearing the riff for the first time could make you feel as if Deerhoof could have explored the intensity of that opening wonder, but they've decided instead to cut it short of what it could have become. Don't let their teasing fool you! This album develops into a great piece of work by a group who could be described as mixing the sounds and feelings of both popularized and unconventional ideals. My impression of previous efforts from this band is that their music was either blatantly attractive, or initially alienating in that it could create a divide of sitting on an extreme of liking or disliking the music. Deerhoof vs. Evil feels more like a more complete blending of Deerhoof's two simple and more complicated sides. Even the name of their album suggests that there will be a confrontation between sides here. There are places within the journey of this album that are extremely straight forward and predicable, but along comes an unexpected turn or a wave of complex mingling of sounds that tantalizes the ears. I'll warn you that the album progresses as moving to deceive the listener at almost every turn. At the point where dramatic transformations are expected, the song will continue uninterrupted, but just as some comfort is found in a steady groove the song will evolve again.
An important part of this album is the subtlety of some of the riffs, melodies, and rhythms that appear throughout the record. In some tracks the meandering of notes and noises hidden in barely audible tones are what take the music to new heights of complexity. Not complex in a bad sense but as if to lead the audience through a conflicted atmosphere with more character than the main instruments can interpret on their own. There are a wide range of rhythmic frameworks which explore different tempos from the traditional, to overlapping rhythms which create interesting syncopations of beats and other noises. The production value of Deerhoof vs. Evil is not hindered by the embedding of abstract sounds, but instead they provide a flavor like a spice would to food, littering the songs with spikes of flavor. The major portion of this album is not bland by any means, there are times where the Hoof stick to the proverbial guns of making their music extremely accessible and straightforward. On the other hand, there is a consistent blending of the strange and unfamiliar sounds that this group is known for crafting. Their final song Almost Everyone, Almost Always develops a tone and progression comparable to the Final Fantasy VII soundtrack if you've played that game. Its a comparison that stems from the rhythm and tone of the synthesizer, and hints at how abstract this project really is underneath its surface. There are a wide variety of styles to speak of that appear at different points of this album, styles that are clearly recognizable, and will only allow me to emphasize this album as unique onto the band itself and the genre it lends itself to. Deerhoof are capable of making accessible tunes which I would argue are radio worthy, but at the same time they proudly display their interest in developing the standards of music and taking their own sound through an evolutionary spiral that sees them touch on their greatest talents as musicians.
The singer of this band has a unique style and voice which I'm sure has developed over time and experience, being influenced from her heritage and musical interest. An unfortunate downfall for this work, and essentially the group in general is that the audience can never really escape the singer's voice. Giving this record a chance and listening thoroughly to its intricacies may prove challenging to an audience unfamiliar with Satomi Matsuzaki's vocals. There are areas where Deerhoof incorporate the voice of some other band mates, but inevitably Matsuzaki's voice is an aspect that you'll either despise or come to appreciate over some time with this album. If there is any explanation as to why this album is so captivating and deserving of attention from a musically critical community it's that they truly have their moments of wonder, so subtlety displayed, which have developed through minds intent on transforming music as we know it. Deerhoof take what is familiar to the audience and manipulate it through their personal lens to generate a piece that will entertain amongst the finest of this year's musical works.
