Deacon in the Dark

Dan Deacon

Bromst- Carpark

Dan Deacon must be fun to hang out with. His previous album, Spiderman of the Rings, was the musical equivalent of snorting a line of pixy-stix before hanging out at a theme-park with your five-year old cousin. It certainly wasn't the most musically profound or invigorating album of 2007, but it succeeded where more serious-minded musicians' records had failed, creating an inviting sonic landscape that felt at once crowded and ecstatic. Bromst, Deacon's new album, seems to be all too self-aware of this--it's denser, moodier, and larger in scope than its predecessor. Yes, the same blips and bleeps that made up the first album are still there, as are the overwhelming uses of organs and synth. Yes, there as many samples of Woody Woodpecker here as there were in the last album. Yes, he still dances like a less inhibited David Byrne. Yet this time the Deacon relies on live instrumentation to create his signature sound. It's easy to see Deacon as a goofy throwaway, and to forget his conservatory-trained roots. However, once you give the album a serious listen, the music's seemingly cheesy elements begin to branch off upwards towards the sublime.

When not in the studio, Dan enjoys freaking out the local news.

All for you, my ninnies...