album #56

microcastle (deerhunter)

This is a good example of an album that really works better as an album than as a collection of songs. Individually, there aren't many of these songs that I love, but collectively the album flows as a really nice, ambient, sonic piece. The album goes through peaks and valleys, the more forceful songs and the more subdued, delicate, intimate tracks. There's a generally consistent tone, which I don't quite know how to describe. Ambient, buzzing, indie rock. It took many, many listens of this album before I could really digest it- I don't know whether that means it's deep, or forgettable.

I love the "Intro"- it really unleashes this wailing, forceful, swooningly melodic sound, and it blends nicely into "Agoraphobia," my favorite track, the reason I wanted to hear the album. Just a great melody there, excellent song. Nothing stands out quite like those songs, but "Little Kids," with its awesome buzzing melody and the bright, hard pluck of the guitar, opens fantastically, and "Nothing Ever Happened" has a great energy and a great sound- okay individually, a strong upswing after several subdued, more contemplative songs.

Almost every song works better in the flow of the piece, than as its own song. This is good, ambient, background music, but other than those first two tracks, nothing I would really go out of my way to hear again- my taste is for stronger, clearer melody. Anyway, it's pretty good.