By Danielle Furfaro
(First published in the Times Union of Albany, NY: Monday, April 21, 2008)
Art rockers Deerhoof deal equally in the beautiful and the bombastic. That combination served them well at WAMC's Linda Norris Performing Arts Center on Friday night.
Deerhoof has been underground favorites for more than a decade, since they first emerged from San Francisco in the mid-'90s, playing mercurial pop pieces that shifted pace and mood many times over from start to finish.
The band kicked off its show with the pummelingly sweet "The Perfect Me," which was precise, intricate and suspenseful without ever sacrificing its playfulness. Then they segued into "Flower," a frenetic shuffle topped with brightly colored guitar phrasing. "The Big Orange Sun Run Over Light Speed" is a stuttering composition that crests and brakes repeatedly, running from giddy hook to giddy hook. "Wrong Time Capsule" started off with a strutting classic rock riff and quickly shifts to melancholy and sublime before coming back again.
Much of the night was spent showcasing songs from their latest album, 2007's "Friend Opportunity," which has more a straightforward rock feel than some of their previous offerings, but still employs the intricacy and leaves leaves audiences with their jaws hanging.
It would be unfair to call Deerhoof jazz or prog-rock, although they do incorporate both into their sound. Many of Deerhoof's songs have a cartoon soundtrack type of feel. Going to a Deerhoof show is sort of like listening to Frank Zappa get mugged by the Minutemen and a gang of Kabuki girls in a dark alley. Or as if AC/DC and Sun Ra got together for a moonlight jam.
What makes Deerhoof is the interplay between the ravaging instrumentation and Satomi Matsuzaki's innocent, gentle singing style. While all the members of Deerhoof are incredible musicians, it's really drummer Greg Saunier who is the star. His spasmodic yet dead-on style -- played on a three-piece kit -- allows all of the other instruments to explore unencumbered.
Danielle Furfaro is staff writer for the Times Union.
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