San Francisco's strident
Deerhoof
is a much-loved deconstructionist art-pop outfit. The band is part
no wave
skronk, part
Yoko Ono
meets
the B-52's
, and part weirdo J-pop, and continues to push the musical envelope on each new recording.
Reveille
is a pretty good example of what
is capable of. Quite a few of its songs are instrumental, for the most part, helter-skelterish flare-ups with primitive Casio-like bloops and bleeps, angular fizz-pop guitars, and epileptic drum freakouts. Those few songs that feature
Satomi Matsuzaki
's purring falsetto -- her very presence elevates this band above most
avant
pop
groups -- have a simplicity and sugar-soaked sweetness, enticing listeners with charm before boxing their ears with an all-out aural assault.
begins with an unassuming
spoken word
opening before launching into a variety of sounds.
"All Rise"
has a baseball stadium-cum-church organ feel, and
"Days & Nights in the Forest"
starts off with progressive
jazz
elements before introducing other elements. Though
reportedly has to be seen performing live -- when the bandmembers are able to temper and balance the explosive quiet-loud of their tunes -- to be fully appreciated and to get the full effect, this album is as good a place to start your journey as any of the group's recordings. ~ Bryan Thomas