Deerhoof – Offend Maggie
Offend Maggie – Deerfhoof
by Aidan Roberts
Deerhoof have been around for more than ten years now, peddling their rambunctious indie pop to an adoring fan-base. Part of their longevity must come from their cross-genre appeal – there’s something of the Pixies or Pavement in their thick guitar textures and intense instrumental ramblings, what makes the band most intriguing is Japanese singer Satomi Matsuzaki’s relaxed indie drawl. “One two three four, I won’t become history,” she sings in a staccato mantra echoing the aloof hypnotics of Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier. Chandelier Searchlight is a curiously bouncy thing, banging along in a kind of garage-folk urgency, and erupts into a startlingly melodic chorus. Deerhoof’s melodies have a way of traversing odd modulations and arresting chord changes which smacks heavily of that kind of 1970’s New York art-jazz. Sometimes it gets a little rambly – but the musicianship on display is fascinating enough to gel it all together. This being their staggering 12th studio album, Deerhoof have developed through lineup and stylistic experiments over the years to arrive at this very interesting and undeniably catchy band. It’s weird, and it’s fun.
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