Deerhoof - Offend Maggie

The work of San Francisco indie quartet Deerhoof has consisted of, throughout the times, practically everything intriguing in the underground rock in the last four decades: from Zappa/Beefheart styled freakiness to the Boredoms type noise-rock. Their previous album Friend Opportunity presented a more polished style. One difficult lengthy improvised piece excepted. Their latest, Offend Maggie, is from start to finish totally coherent and more easily accessible, even if their eccentric style is once again more guitar based and rawer sounding, with occasional folk elements thrown in.
Despite the short length of songs (the longest clocks at mere five minutes) the compositions are quite elaborately constructed, from intriguing time signature changes to the subtle harmonic and melodic labyrinths. This here is not your usual indie rock with pretenses of underground aura. Underneath the noisy and angular style a skillful compositional talent is revealed. Deerhoof has proudly deserved their place in the avant-garde of modern arty alternative rock.