Kill Rock Stars

With their latest LP venerable experimentalists Deerhoof reheat the brilliant recipe from last year’s breakthrough Friend Opportunity: classic meets indie rock, east vs. west, soft-loud dynamics, and complicated rhythmic work. The lyrics, however, span a topical and bilingual range surpassing their previous efforts, including the all Japanese-language opener and a two-part narrative (“Don’t Get Born” and “Fresh Born”) wherein a baby worries about its lack of planning. Satomi Matzusaki’s off-kilter vocals sound sturdier than ever throughout, and the gently destroyed closer “Jagged Fruit” stuns, with drummer Greg Saunier’s nuanced cymbal shivers creating electrical currents between guitar and bass before exploding.

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