Rob’s Album Of The Week: Deerhoof’s Surprise Symphonies

Where does the cassette stand when it comes to music’s accessibility in 2020? Of course there are much more modern and easier ways to listen to a song through streaming and good old-fashioned downloading, but what about the formats of our past? Vinyl made a big comeback over the past 15 years and audio savants will stay loyal to it for years to come. You can still listen to a cassette if your car has the deck, but most people are using that for an adapter to plug in their IPhone these days. Fortunately, San Francisco noise rock act Deerhoof released Surprise Symphonies on May 1 via Joyful Noise Recordings as a Bandcamp exclusive accompaniment to their Children of Hoof 25th Anniversary Cassette Box Set.

The album spans b-sides and rarities from various stages of the band’s career, but it definitely holds up on its own in terms of variety and progression. Deerhoof’s trademark has always been how they uniquely blend upbeat melody with avant-garde harshness, but there are also numerous elements at play here. There are jazzy tones, psychedelic soundscapes and flatout weirdness that makes you think how the quartet of bassist and vocalist Satomi Matsuzaki, drummer Greg Saunier and guitarists John Dietrich & Ed Rodriguez created it. Listening from start to finish is an experience in its own way that doesn’t come off as something from the back catalog. This…