Deerhoof

Still crazy after all these years, Deerhoof have survived the recent departure of guitarist Chris Cohen to release their ninth willfully and wonderfully weird album, Friend Opportunity. As befits the newly smaller lineup -- they stuck with just the trio of singer Satomi Matsuzaki, drummer/founder Greg Saunier and guitarist John Dietrich -- their new album is a return to a leaner sort of album, featuring only 10 tracks (its predecessor, 2005's The Runners Four, had 20). If you chopped out the meandering closing track, the 11:45-long "Look Away" -- and, to be honest, it wouldn't be much of a loss -- you'd be left with an EP-like runtime of around 25 minutes.

But what an EP it would be. Deerhoof are still rather polarizing -- anyone who can't vibe with an occasional lack of song structure and a high-pitched, semi-babyish voice singing about animals should keep a safe distance -- but they seem to be becoming somewhat more accessible with age. Aside from Matsuzaki's decidedly unusual vocal style, there are a number of songs that are fairly conventional in construction. The more abrasively experimental edges in their earlier work have largely been bypassed, possibly because of numerous lineup changes through the years.

"+81," the lead single that headed its own EP just prior to Christmas, announces itself with some trumpet fanfare, then rides a foot-stomping drumbeat and sharp guitar lick to a typically Deerhoofian chorus (that goes something like this: "Choo-choo-choo-choo beep beep!"). "Matchbook Seeks Maniac" has a traditional build toward a pop-rock payoff in the chorus, and "The Perfect Me" opens the album with galloping urgency, then pulls back to reveal some surprisingly Stonesy guitar licks in its middle.

There are plenty of such twists and turns, from the freak-funk of "Believe E.S.P." to the twitchy electronic pulse and hypnotic refrain of "Choco Fight." "Whither the Invisible Birds?" is a surprising downshift at the center of album, a fairy tale-sounding song featuring Matsuzaki cooing softly over restrained orchestration.

As much as just about any other contemporary band, Deerhoof succeed in destroying the grumpy, mediocrity-justifying myth that everything has been done already, that every song has already been sung. Even their haters should concede that this is a band that takes their shovel and breaks fresh soil on a regular basis. - Adam McKibbin, The Red Alert

After the brilliant sprawl of The Runners Four, it would've made sense if Deerhoof continued in the same direction on their next album. It turns out that Friend Opportunity is a model of efficiency, packing just as much dazzling creativity into ten tracks as The Runners Four did into 20. This new approach could be seen as a reaction to the departure of Chris Cohen, who left to concentrate on his own band, the Curtains, but Deerhoof is such a mercurial group that some kind of change was inevitable. And, as good as The Runners Four was, Friend Opportunity just might be even better. It's as though the band took the ideas they tossed around last time -- more streamlined, structured songs combined with a wider sonic palette -- and threw in more highly concentrated sweetness and weirdness for good measure. Though most of these songs are short, they've got a lot of presence, and Friend Opportunity opens with three of Deerhoof's most adorable, accessible songs yet. "The Perfect Me" kicks off the album with galloping percussion and organs that sound like rays of sun bursting through clouds, two of Friend Opportunity's main musical motifs. "+81" is the single, which makes sense, since its collision of acrobatic guitars, subtle electronics, marching band snippets, and irresistible "choo-choo-choo-choo beep beep" chorus distills the album's kitchen-sink pop perfectly. "Believe ESP" is a surprisingly funky departure, with a slinky melody that lilts, slithers, and takes detours into chamber pop and noisy breakdowns, yet still sounds purposeful. Later on, this ultra-pop side of Deerhoof resurfaces with "Matchbook Seeks Maniac," which easily ranks as one of the band's best songs yet. It's also one of their most straightforward songs, with a soaring melody that leads into a bittersweet yet rousing chorus, but lyrics like "I would sell my soul to the devil/If I could be on top of the world" keep things nicely unpredictable. The other facets of Deerhoof's sound sparkle on Friend Opportunity, too: they explore their softer side with "Whither the Invisible Birds?," a symphonic ballad sweet and yearning enough for a cartoon heroine, and "Choco Fight," which is surprisingly pretty and mellow, given its title. Things get more experimental as Friend Opportunity ends: "Kidz Are So Small" is a startling track, even by Deerhoof's standards, with Satomi Matsuzaki singing from the perspective of a dog and a man over tumbling beats and rubbery synths (based on this song and Milk Man's "Dog on the Sidewalk," man's best friend inspires some of the band's most out-there songs). "Look Away," an 11-minute suite-like piece, balances the rest of Friend Opportunity's poppiness with loping guitar riffs, rambling pianos, and keyboards that sound like feedback. Deerhoof is in an undeniable groove -- with each album, they make their flights of fancy seem easier, and push pop's boundaries farther. Friend Opportunity is the perfect name for their approach: they look for, and find, the best possibilities in whatever comes their way. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide