October 2008 Archive |
 |
Deerhoof
Offend Maggie
Review By Matt Conner
The acquired taste of Deerhoof can get lost in the musical shuffle for many reasons. The annoying-as-hell lyricism present makes the Red Hot Chili Peppers look like William Faulkner’s sonic outlet. The quirky jumps from track to track keep anyone from classifying its indie-no-wait-it’s-not-indie rock sound. Singer Satomi Matsuzaki’s soprano can hardly be describes as precious or pretty, especially singing these words.
Yet let’s not forget that Friend Opportunity, the band’s last Kill Rock Stars release, was universally hailed by every media outlet on Planet Earth. The reason? The musicianship is creative, even bordering on genius at times. So while Matsuzaki sings, “Tiny hoofies bend oh bend bonny/puffy butty stand up now waggy” in “Fresh Born,” the hypnotic, interweaving guitar work pulls you back from the ledge you want to jump from just listening to these lyrics. And this happens throughout Offend Maggie from beginning to end. Deerhoof is entirely silly and entirely beautiful in the same oddly shaped package. And that either keeps you coming back for more or rolling your eyes as you pass on to Deerhunter or Deer Tick.
|
