Whether you were a fan of Deerhunter’s experimental sonic explosion songwriting, or favored their more recent foray into pop-oriented musical territory, the band’s sold out show at Metro gave fans a taste of both.
Having released albums on local label Kranky and with bassist Josh Fauver being born here, Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox explained their connection to Chicago, adding “We were just here.” A month ago the band played a surprise show comprising some material from their “Halcyon Digest” album just before its release on Grand Avenue, underneath a Kennedy overpass to a few hundred admirers.
Their set at Metro also centered on their excellent “Halcyon Digest” album, one of the best albums of the year and arguably their finest. They launched with singer/guitarist Lockett Pundt’s strutty “Desire Lines.” A song with perhaps the most conventional structure on album, its “whoa oh” refrains, pretty ringing melodies and propelling rhythms was one of its catchiest. From there, though, convention, which was not a bad thing in Deerhunter’s hands, gave way to squalls and surging sound, where songs dizzily blended from one to another almost throughout. And while the 75-minute set was visceral and exhilarating, it was some of the intimate moments on the “Halcyon Digest” record that make the material so indelible, which were lacking live.
But for those preferring sonic assault above intricacy, there was plenty to be had. The Cox-led woozy “Don’t Cry” was awash in distortion, building into waves of dissonance that the lanky Cox seemed to ride against. “Little Kids” from their “Microcastle” album was anthemic; Cox wielded his guitar against his amp building into a tumultuous crescendo.
The nightmarish “Helicopter,” a tragic song about the demise of a male Russian prostitute, provided some release, alternating big chords and watery swaths of sound. However, it ultimately surged into an urgent, pitched gale before melting into the sweet beginnings of the epic “He Would Have Laughed.” And while there were songs during the performance, such as the superb “Memory Boy,” which featured some of the rich nuances found on album in the live setting, too much of their intricate details were lost in the noise.
