#199
Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era. Cont. (Kranky, 2008)
Between Deerhunter and his Atlas Sound side work, Bradford Cox became one of the more consistent artists of the second half of the decade. Even the random droppings he tossed up on his blog had a pretty high ratio of engaging listen to tossed-off barrel scrapings. Microcastle, the third full-length under the Deerhunter name, just might be the most consistently great record of the bunch. Others have hit higher highs, but it is really hard to find fault with any of the gauzy goodness throughout. "Nothing Ever Happened" rightfully got lots of attention as one of the high water marks, but I really think "Never Stops" is the track that really nails what I love about the Deerhunter aesthetic. It's a very melodic and pop-oriented track, but the layers of shoegaze gauze wrapping all the melodies are what breathes life into the composition - particularly when it builds in intensity. This noisy pop sensibility is all over the album proper, but then you pair it with another entire full length (Weird Era Cont.) that explores other fine branches of the Deerhunter sound, and you are left with a truly exciting package.
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