StarCat/CatStar

driving numbers with mellow melodies, now they were simply throwing
temper tantrums and spewing sonic tirades. "Monomania" was brilliantly
bilious and ended up alienating some fans who preferred the band's slightly
softer angles.
If those fans prefer the pillow-smooth, soothing harmonies of Deerhunter's
more sober side, then "Fading Frontier" should resonate well. For me,
it's my least favorite after "Halcyon Digest" (which has some great tunes,
but as a whole it falls flat). I prefer "Monomania's" raw, toxic ear-slammers,
or "Cyptograms' " clever conceit of psychedelic dream-punk.
What's beautiful about "Fading Frontiers," though, is that it sounds like a
true folk album in some regards, highlighting as it does the melodious
contributions of Lockett Pundt, and his lulling duets with Bradford. And
not only does Bradford channel Dylanesque moods, but he manages to
sneak in a 50s-style barbershop number, and he slyly perpetuates the
band's legacy of postmodern indie rock with the first two songs, especially.
The problem with all of it, from the perspective of a hardcore fan, is that
the songs are spare, not lushly layered like the best Deerhunter songs.
The arrangements are simpler, less complex - which is not an innately evil
thing. But in the case of Deerhunter, it certainly saps some of the charm
from the songs. Deerhunter shimmers when their songs are like pyramids,
sounds piling on top of each other until they reach a glorious aural apex.
The standout songs on "Fading Frontier" - the gritty, slinky "Snakeskin"
and the cathartic "Carry On," both of which resemble leftovers from
"Monomania" - should, lighthouse-like, guide the direction of the follow-up
album.
Of course, Deerhunter likes to zag when they are expected to zig, so no
telling what their next album will offer: Perhaps Tejano and Zydeco?
Either way, it's a certainty that the album will be a solid, cohesive
collection, as Deerhunter has ultimately never made a bad album. I just
hope that "Fading Frontier" represents a pretty piece of the Deerhunter
puzzle rather than the band's new paradigm.