Deerhoof

Applauded (and at times, derided) for their prog rock leanings, and now on their 11th album, Deerhoof have turned out a more accessible prog pop record that could lure in previously curious, but skittish, fans. There are still whiplash turns aplenty, but not the violent ramping from the Archies to Naked City that the band sometime swerved into. In the way Guided By Voices excavate classic rock bridges and choruses, Deerhoof cannibalize shimmering disco strobes, lounge grooves and sugar-soaked, classic jingles, stuffing everything into bite-sized rainbow wraps. The sweetness is peppered, as always, by drummer Greg Saunier's easy polyrhythms and the panoply of guitar tones, from blurry fuzz to pinpoint gunmetal, delivered by Dieterich and Rodriguez. Satomi Matsuzaki's lyrics are cooed, repetitive evocations like "look into the sky" or "me to the rescue" that either open up a space for contemplation or fill it with humanity, depending on your listening requirements. The low degree of difficulty makes it a fun album, but there's still enough of a challenge to reward new listeners, perhaps even sending them into the back catalogue.