Album Review: Dan Deacon's Bromst

Here's a really interesting musician that I reviewed recently for Kevchino. His live performances seem like a totally interactive experience and the new album is a must hear polarizer for music lovers.

Innovative is the all important word when one listens to Dan Deacon’s new album Bromst, but in addition to pushing the envelope, the music is textural, melodic, and downright fascinating. One day after the nuclear bombs fall we are going to need something to listen to while we are running through our futuristic landscape and snorting electricity and Dan Deacon has stepped up with the perfect soundtrack. Deacon is a well respected electronic musician who was born in nearby Babylon, NY and is well known for his digital soundscapes and musical experimentation but his new album offers listeners an interesting medium between popular music and sonic art.

The album is intense in its quick tempoed percussive layering of instruments such as rapid fire player pianos and sped-up audio samples and it sounds a bit like life in fast forward. Deacon also does a great job in slowing it down at times for pause after what at times is like a 3-4 minute audial orgasm. “Snookered” is one great example of this and one of the best tracks on the album with its down tempo beginning that ramps up progressively as layers build. The song feels almost tribal at times with a startling percussive melody that has tremendous range and simple but wonderfully universal lyrics. “Wet Wings” is another such track that works on a much more base, spiritual level as it builds from a chanted, folk sample which builds to become nothing but a lingering chord with slight variations, it’s a interesting note towards the end of the album.

Deacon’s bread and butter though are his high energy sound-madness tracks such as: “Red F”, “Get Older”, and notably “Slow With Horns/ Run for Your Life” which scare old people and entice music lovers. Some might dismiss the album as gimmicky but on closer listening, the album is truly a musical wonder in its originality and blend of ancient and modern with seamless success. The songs are musically virtuous but not for the casual music fan due to their occasional abrasive nature and startling lack of familiarity.