Deerhunter: Microcastle / Weird Era Cont.

Atmospherics in music is something artists have always striven to achieve.

Names such as Sigur Rós and Explosions In The Sky spring immediately to mind, as do more subtle bands such as The National – "Boxer" was undeniably creepy and beautiful all at once – and even Interpol. All the aforementioned bands have an album (or albums) which manipulate their sound so well that an actual tangible feeling emanates from the music. Something not usually conveyed in your average 'Now That’s What I Call Bullshit! 2008' pop compilation.

With "Microcastle", Deerhunter have not only achieved the construction of atmosphere, they’ve also managed to create a completely unique soundscape inhabited by themselves and themselves only.

The first song paints a gliding, twinkling forefront with a deep black background moving beautifully into Agoraphobia, a haunting track about someone longing to be trapped in small spaces. Lyrics float gently in and out of focus, whispering but never quiet; “I had a dream, no longer to be free, I want only to see, four walls made of concrete.” It’s a dark, dreamlike introduction.

Third song "Never Stops" rubs that vision from its eyes and takes hold of the paintbrush. Edgier and louder than before, it builds from the start, letting itself unfurl as it should.

This is where the difference between amateur and professional is laid bare. It’s not just every band that can do this. The more listens this album gets, the more there is on offer and the more you can hear singer Bradford Cox’s side project Atlas Sound creeping in at the seams, tinting some songs with his electronic alias. Delve deeper and there’s aspects of prog laced within. The build ups, the quiet-loud dynamic, they’re all there, paintbrush in hand, adding their own ideas, only bettering each individual canvas.

Penultimate track "Neither Of Us Uncertainly" is a stand out track and reveals how pretty, yet introverted Deerhunter can sound.

Moving onto bonus CD "Weird Era Cont." – basically an entire album of new, unreleased songs – we have a more immediate Deerhunter hit us directly in the face. Kapow!

It’s instantly rougher and more boisterous, harder than Microcastle but somehow keeping the laidback breeziness. Buoyant but never jovial. "Operation" is a dark, twisting track holstering lyrics tainted with venom; “Cover your ears, you’re not gonna like what you’re gonna hear, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.” It sounds genuinely provoking.

There’s so much material here to appreciate that at times it’s almost too much. Collectively twenty five songs and a total of approximately 80 minutes, it’s a whole lot to take in at once and at some points - although there’s no actual sag - it feels a little more drawn out than necessary. Still, that’s a minor thorn on this otherwise fantastically intricate rose.

With so much beautifully crafted music available here it’s a sin not to pick this one up, just make sure you’ve got a lot of time for it to really seep in.