Report: Deerhunter Premiere Microcastle [Brooklyn, NY; 04/11/08]

Photos and text by Drew Katchen

Just last week, Deerhunter hit us with a double whammy: not only would the Atlanta psych quartet be playing a surprise show at a secret location, but they would also be performing, in full, their new album Microcastle.

That show happened Friday night at what turned out to be Brooklyn's Market Hotel. Pitchfork contributor Drew Katchen gives his impressions.

Four opening bands and hours (and hours and hours) after the doors first opened, Bradford Cox, guitarist Lockett Pundt, bassist Josh Fauver, and drummer Moses Archuleta took the stage before an anxious crowd with a cover of "Cool" by Cox faves Pylon. The driving, repetitive track served as a nice springboard for the material that would follow.

"Ok, sooooo...now...Microcastle," Cox announced casually following "Cool".

Given the font of demos and personal information the Deerhunter blog has become, it only seems natural that Cox and band would want to clue their listeners in to the new album's progress through a live gig-- warts and all.

"I'm more interested in the micro-structure. I want things to be a lot shorter, I don't want there to be as much long-windedness to it," Cox told Pitchfork in May 2007 when asked about the follow-up to Cryptograms. "I think maybe the next record will sound a little dirtier or more blown-out or something. Less droney, less mopey."

And the selections from Microcastle showcased on Friday seemed to fall in line with those comments. Songs came with titles like "Calvary Scars", "Activa", "Green Jacket", and "Twilight at Carbon Lake", and many of them seemed to hover around the three-minute mark. For his part, Cox often strummed out power chords, while his voice alternated between a boyish whine and a flat, Stephen Malkmus deadpan.

"Green Jacket" began with gentle piano sounds and Cox singing, "I take what I can/ I give what I have left." Another song had a huge and crashing repetitive build reminiscent of "Wash Off" from the Flourescent Grey EP, while yet another had a quiet intro with Cox seemingly saying, "Oh, I sing"; this one bore resemblance to "Spring Hall Convert" from Cryptograms. Clips of dialogue from movies or speeches and other atmospheric elements worked their way into some of the songs as well.

Another track began with Pundt playing a riff that may well have been lifted from the Crystals' "Then He Kissed Me". Later in the hour-long set, Pundt sang lead on one of the songs.

Understandably, some of the new offerings sounded a little rusty, and at times songs fell apart briefly before coming back together. Cox also seemed to generally lay off manipulating his voice with effects pedals, instead going for a more straightforward vocal sound. Hell, during one song he even finger-tapped for a good minute or so while the band worked a terse, heavy groove.

Will this be the only time the band plays the entire new record, start to finish, in front of a live audience? Who knows, but if Microcastle turns out to be anything like the way it was presented here, fans and newcomers will probably be damn pleased.

DEERHUNTER