Photos of Deerhunter at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY on September 23rd, 2017
Photos of Deerhunter at 2016 Wrecking Ball in Atlanta, GA
Photos of Deerhunter at 2016 Primavera Sound in Barcelona, Spain
Photos of Deerhunter at 2013 Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, TX
Photos of Deerhunter at Webster Hall in New York, NY on September 18th, 2013
Photos of Deerhunter at 2013 FYF Fest in Los Angeles, CA
Photos of Deerhunter at 2013 80/35 Festival in Des Moines, IA
Photos of Deerhunter at 2013 Governors Ball in New York, NY
Photos of Deerhunter at 2013 Optimus Primavera Sound Festival in Oporto, Portugal
Photos of Deerhunter at 2013 Primavera Sound
Photos of Deerhunter at Webster Hall on August 23rd, 2011
Photos of Deerhunter at 2011 Sasquatch! Music Festival in George, WA
Photos of Deerhunter at 2011 Primavera Sound Festival
Photos of Deerhunter at secret show in Chicago, IL on September 25th, 2010
Photos of Deerhunter at Hudson River Park in New York, NY on August 12th, 2010
Bradford Cox has long deployed a high synth wash, both in his solo project Atlas Sound and in his original band, Deerhunter, but 2013’s Monomania (QRO review) saw the group go for the garage-distort, a distinctly lower-fi sound. Fading Frontier could have just been a continuation of that, or a return to the past, but instead draws it all in and more for a more diverse Deerhunter.
Photos of Deerhunter at 2010 All Tomorrow’s Parties in Minehead, U.K.
QRO’s review of Deerhunter, as part of the Round Robin event, at Brooklyn Bowl on August 2nd, 2009
Photos of Deerhunter at McCarren Park Pool in Brooklyn, NY on August 3rd, 2008
QRO’s review of Deerhunter at South Street Seaport in New York, NY on August 31st, 2007
For a record written after Cox suffered terrible injuries in a car accident, Fading Frontier has a decidedly brighter feel to it, starting with the sunnier procession opener “All the Same”. The psych is sweet on the following “Living My Life”, and there’s even tropicalia in the subsequent “Breaker”. Yes, there is some of the Deerhunter wash of old (“Take Care”, “Ad Astra”), but it’s actually the least interesting side of the record – better is the upbeat blues-garage sly of “Snakeskin”. And anyone who saw the Atlas Sound show on February 24th, 2008 (QRO review) will have a soft spot for whenever Cox mentions “Leather and Wood”.
Deerhunter could have gone further into synth esotery, but instead turned the other direction with lo-fi on Monomania. They could have gone further in that direction, or just reclaimed the wash, yet have rather managed to craft something new.