#miracle level

Though Deerhoof have always done a great job with their largely DIY recordings, on Miracle-Level there’s an astonishing depth to Ed Rodriguez and John Dieterich’s guitars, each part complementing the other with unusual voicings. There’s the usual barrage of blistering riffs, plus slide guitar, organ and piano cropping up here and there. From a production perspective, Mike Bridavsky has done a sterling job; the three-dimensional quality of this record is truly striking and exciting, whether on headphones or blasted on speakers. Hard-hitting drummer Greg Saunier is, if anything, a tad subdued here compared to some of his more unhinged playing, but he does get a couple of star turns at the mic: the slashingly dissonant “Everybody, Marvel,” and poignant finale “Wedding, March, Flower.” Befitting their exclamation points, “My Lovely Cat!” and “Momentary Art of Soul!” have a couple of the most punishingly intense and repetitive codas on the entire record, while “And the Moon Laughs” foregrounds a hilariously over-the-top glam-rock riff. In contrast, mellower cuts “The Poignant Melody,” “Miracle-Level” and “The Little Maker” provide some welcome respite from the chaos. 

The album in Deerhoof’s discography that Miracle-Level is closest to in feel is probably 2008’s Offend Maggie, where the band effectively balances ferocity with sweetness, dissonance with anthemic melody. At this stage in their career it feels miraculous that Deerhoof keep on releasing music that’s quite this vital and inventive.