Album Review: Deerhunter - Fading Frontier
By Sam Tornow, Contributor
[4AD; 2015]
Rating: 3/5
Key Tracks: “Duplex Planet,” “Leather and Wood,” “Snakeskin”
This is not the same old Deerhunter fans are accustomed to. In 2014, vocalist Bradford Cox was involved in a car accident and claimed it to be a life altering experience. This changing experience and perspective can be heard all over the band’s seventh album, Fading Frontier. Long gone are the days of ambient punk; rather, Deerhunter’s newest installment dives deeper into the world of sleepy electropop. Sadly, the band seems to stay within its own comfort zone too often.
Like an episode of Tom and Jerry, the beginning of Fading Frontier lacks the explosions of the middle sections. “All the Same,” “Living My Life” and “Breaker,” the first three tracks, all feature similar slower tempos and wispy, sleepy feels and to the untrained ear, may seem to blend into one long, stagnant song. This is not to say there are not solid moments in each song, (such as the abstract instrumentation used in the chorus of “All the Same”) but those moments are not enough to save the beginning of the album from a negative 1940’s cartoon simile.
After track three, the diversity of the album picks up. “Duplex Planet,” increases the pace and changes the sleepy vibe into an angsty, dreamy one. The song changes gears often and will no doubt transport the listener straight to cloud nine. The imaginativeness endures into the unique “Leather and Wood.” With a creeping pulse, sporadic (yet tasteful) electronic bleeps and a timid tambourine, this tune sounds as if it could be a theme song for a robot cowboy coming back home after a hard day's work.
Unfortunately, the latter songs on the album fall back into the safe sound of the first few tracks, except for “Snakeskin.” An outlier on Fading Frontier, this song throws a groovy beat into the audience’s face and remains danceable for its entirety, making the last quarter of the album much more entertaining.
Fading Frontier is not without its faults. That being said, Deerhunter’s latest release still features a handful of first-rate songs that can hold their own in the band’s discography, making the album worth a listen.
