Webcuts Music

“Take my hand and pray with me”, and how we’ve prayed, patiently awaiting the arrival of Deerhunter’s 4th album Halcyon Digest. For the dimly remembering, the monumental Microcastle was Webcuts album of the year for 2008, and expections have already been set. “Helicopter” is the second track to be previewed from the album and it’s a loop-based, plink-plonk synth-led Deerhunter meets The Littlest Mermaid undersea adventure with Bradford Cox revisiting his usual themes of isolation and escapism, and well you know the rest, drugs and paranoia. Unlike those ‘slacker’ bands out there like Wavves and Best Coast who talk about getting stoned and making music, Deerhunter is the real fuck-with-your-head deal. The collage of visuals for the clip (Deerhunter’s first ever video) is unsurprising for them, but there’s something about “Helicopter” that feels like it will have its greatest effect while being paranoid, trapped and on drugs.

While a large portion of you out there are punching your computer screens and hating on Matador from being denied access to their Las Vegas 21st Birthday Party (i’ll be throwing a pity party somewhere in Los Angeles at the same time), our favourite Atlantan sons, Deerhunter have announced news of their fourth LP, Halcyon Digest to be released by 4AD on September 27 (28 in the US).

Bradford Cox of Deerhunter makes us seem like we’re slavishly supportive of everything his hand touches, but we mean every word. Honest.

Another month, another Deerhunter namecheck this time through the release of Logos the forthcoming album from Bradford Cox’s side project Atlas Sound, which features guest appearances via Panda Bear from Animal Collective and Laetitia Sadier from Stereolab.

The third day of Sweden’s 2009 Way Out West is a quieter affair but we still manage to squeeze in Patrick Wolf, Jenny Wilson, Vampire Weekend, Wolfmother, Lily Allen, My Bloody Valentine and Deerhunter.

Deerhunter’s willowy singer-guitarist and stand-up comic in the making Bradford Cox entered the 2Ser studios to trade words with Static’s Chris Berkley about all things in the Deerhunter-verse.

On an unexpected jaunt down to the Southern Hemisphere, Webcuts had the good fortune to be in attendance at the Annandale Hotel in Sydney to witness the final show of Deerhunter’s first Australian tour and to record the final song of the night, a mesmerising slow-burning version of Microcastle masterpiece “Twilight at Carbon Lake”. Check back later this week for a review of their Australian tour, as well as an exclusive interview with frontman Bradford Cox.

Hot on the heels of Microcastle comes this warmly welcomed five track EP from Webcuts’ band de jour.

Having caught them a few weeks earlier in London, it was like witnessing an entirely different band in the throes of conquering new territory and playing to new audiences.

I’d be surprised if the majority in attendance were familiar at all with Atlas Sound, but the crammed in masses of which Webcuts was one of the last to make the cut, were calling out requests that even Cox felt too obscure and unplayable.