Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Cover Me
2. Agoraphobia
3. Never Stops
4. Little Kids
5. Microcastle
6. Calvary Scars
7. Green Jacket
8. Activa
9. Nothing Ever Happened
10. Saved by Old Times
11. Neither of Us, Uncertainly
12. Twilight at Carbon Lake

Disc 2:

1. Backspace Century
2. Operation
3. Ghost Outfit
4. Dot Gain
5. Vox Celeste
6. Cicadas
7. Vox Humana
8. VHS Dream
9. Focus Group
10. Slow Swords
11. Weird Era
12. Moon Witch Cartridge
13. Calvary Scars II/Aux. Out

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3472 in Music
• Released on: 2008-10-27
• Number of discs: 1

CD Description
New to 4AD, Atlanta-based Deerhunter are one of the most exciting new bands currently coming out of the States and with their stunning new album, Microcastle, they are
finally releasing music outside of their homeland.

*comes complete with second disc of bonus tracks

Customer Reviews

Dreamy bliss pop shoegaze heaven
Think MBV / J&MC / Spacemen 3 crossed with Dandy Warhols Come Down or Sonic youth in blisspop mode. Think Belle & sebastian's Lazy line Painter Jane Crossed with Pixies dolittle era and add some pavement-esque angles and you have your favourite new band, an antidote to the bland conveyer belt nice hair 1978 wannabe indie stuff cluttering up the airwaves...
Agoraphobia, Never Stops and Little Kids are euphoric beauty...Nothing ever happened a Can / stereolab workout with Breeders pop sensibility...
Gorgeous.

Don't judge this by it's cover...
When did 4AD suddenly get its act together? It appeared to be a label living on its (admittedly very fine) history, bereft of new talent, endlessly re-issuing the same Pixies/Muses/Cocteaus material. Then all of a sudden a roster that includes many of 2008's finest; Bon Iver, TV On The Radio, Dept of Eagles and Deerhunter amongst others, signals a welcome renaissance.

Deerhunter's third album has been much anticipated by the US indie media, after the plaudits received for Cryptograms, their previous 2007 album. Microcastles is, overall, worth the wait. Deerhunter are on Kranky in the US but licensed to 4AD in the UK and their music is frequently reminiscent of the sound of both labels; there are fuzzy ambient swathes but there is also a real hazy pop sensibility at work, particularly on 'Nothing Ever Happens' and 'Never Stop'. Comparisons with fellow 4AD alumni such as the Breeders, Ultra-Vivid Scene and even A.R.Kane are valid.

Although it's not mentioned in the Amazon blurb above, Microcastles was initially issued with (and may well still include) an entire bonus album, Weird Era Count. The story goes that, following the leaking of Microcastles onto the internet, the band wanted to reward those fans who purchased it upon release, so recorded Weird Era Count, which was itself subsequently leaked onto the 'net. The bonus disc is impressive; not your usual collection of out-takes and unfinished ideas from the studio floor (In Rainbows CD2 anyone?).

For those wanting to hear more, the 4AD site is at the time of writing (December 2008) offering a free MP3 of album highlight 'Nothing Ever Happens'. Those wanting more of the same should definitely hear second album 'Cryptograms' as well as front-man Bradford Cox's 'Atlas Sound' album, also released on 4AD this year.

Overall I'd recommend Microcastles; the album does sag a little in the middle and the cover art is shockingly poor (worst 4AD sleeve ever?), but it certainly deserves it's place in my end of 2008 `Best of..." list.

bargain...
effectvely youre getting 2 CD's for the price of one, and although Wierd Era isnt as immediate, after a few listens, you'll be sucked in.. VHS Dream and Backspace Century imo are 2 of the best songs out of the whole lot and fully represent Deerhunter's fuzzed out pop psych.

Microcastles has more of the Pixies/Pavement feel to it in songs like 'Never Stops' and 'Nothing Ever Happens' and sounds great on first listen, the melodies stick in your head like a blissful dream, and having bought this 2 months ago, i still play both CD's regularly, cant recommend it enough