Bradford Cox is one fascinating dude. As frontman of Atlanta, GA noise rockers Deerhunter and his solo project, Atlas Sound, Cox has exhibited considerable talent, an uncannily prolific work ethic, and quite the public persona. The spindly Cox, who’s 6-plus-foot and can’t weigh more than 140, is known as a difficult but nonetheless entertaining interviewee, and his shows have been the subject of many a “meltdown”-type Internet piece. Regardless of what color dress Cox is wearing (it’s been a white ’50s throwback lately) or what physical issues afflict him (the disfiguring Marfan Syndrome), the music has been consistently brilliant and Deerhunter’s career ascendant.
The group has seen what some, in indie rock terms, would call success. In an era where records are merely a facilitator for the more profitable live shows, Deerhunter managed to push 50,000-plus copies of their third record, 2008’s Microcastle. The LP presented a more polished, structured approach to the group’s dreamy noise rock and paved the way for 2010’s Halcyon Digest, which paralleled Microcastle in its acclaim.
“Monomania,” the title track and harsh first single off Deerhunter’s forthcoming LP, may register as a curveball to some. Cox’s dreamy falsetto and the band’s woven guitars, two staples of records prior, are nowhere to be found. Instead the song gnarls and screams with abrasion. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Cox described Monomania as “an avant-garde garage record.” It’s looking to be an apt summary, and I think anyone who hears the title track will agree: this record will polarize.
Though it’s a potentially startling first listen, the track definitely lends itself to subsequent visits. The melodies are as lively as ever and Cox’s lyrics, historically in the spacey or vague realm, cut with directness. The song’s finale, in which Cox wails “mono, monomania!” over a cacophonous swell of guitar, is equally terrifying as it is invigorating.
As usual, Deerhunter remain at the forefront of modern rock.