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Cryptograms (album)

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Untitled

Cryptograms is the second album from Deerhunter, released through Kranky on January 29, 2007. The album received critical praise, including a "Best New Music" mention from Pitchfork Media, and was followed by an EP titled Fluorescent Grey in May, 2007. The album was later released on vinyl together with the Fluorescent Grey EP as a double LP. Similar to other Deerhunter releases, lead singer, Bradford Cox contributed to the artwork of the album. In Cryptograms he is responsible for the photography.

Recording

Deerhunter first attempted to record their second album with acclaimed folk musician Samara Lubleski at Rare Book Room studios.[1] This recording session failed, due in part to the physical and mental state of Cox, who had "walking pneumonia."[2]

After this session the band returned to the place where they recorded their first album and gave recording a follow-up another attempt. This time successful, the album was recorded in two parts. The first part was recorded on one day in November 2005, completely filling the reel of tape the band brought with them in the studio. The last song of this recording session, "Red Ink", literally ends with the tape spinning off the reel at the conclusion of the song.[3] The second half, also recorded in one day of November 2005, begins with "Spring Hall Convert" and has more of a pop-song sound. During the recording of the second half Cox had the "flu."[2] He explains that "the vocals on all the pop songs are really weird because I was so congested. I always thought I would go back and redo them, but we never did."[2]

Music and lyrics

Cryptograms is a more "subdued and introverted" record than its predecessor. This was due in part to how the record "developed out of different circumstances, altogether. There were a lot more intense personal things going on. It was less about anger and frustration and more just being stunned or spaced-out by everything", Cox explains.[2]

The album has five instrumentals, all of which are ambient in sound. In one of the instrumentals, "Providence", the band "tried to capture a certain [feeling of] solitude." The song "conceptualized" after Cox had an argument with the band's members and he "walked around Providence at dusk" feeling "totally alone."[4]

The album contains themes of death and isolation. In statements from the band’s lead singer, Bradford Cox, song intentions have been revealed that reinforce the theme of death, even in the instrumentals. In describing the sounds in "Red Ink", Cox has divulged that the band "tried to create the kind of atmosphere…where you have a dream that you have died and you understand the technical aspects of the death experience totally and it feels like reality."[4] This is also encompassed in the song "Octet" whose lyrics lament, "I was the corpse that spiralled out into phantom hallways." This song was directly inspired by the cover art on the grove paperback edition of Dennis Cooper’s Closer.[4] In the album’s closing track, "Heatherwood", Cox talks of "a house my dad built on a street called Heatherwood Lane" and how he "might go back there someday to die." This is underpinned by the lyric, "home is an echo reflecting a place."

The album also relates closely to Cox’s experiences with Marfan Syndrome, such as in "Spring Hall Convert", whose lyrics talk of Cox’s hospitalisation when he was 16 "for extensive surgeries on my chest ribs and back…I was writing from the perspective of someone going in and out of consciousness during chemotherapy, and how they would miss their friends, their past experiences, and anything that reminded them of normalcy."[4] The song is repetitious in its lyrics, "radiation, too much radiation." Similar subject matter can also be seen in the track "Hazel St.", which Cox describes as "a fantasy about being normal."

The album also deals with elements of companionship in the song "Strange Lights", which is based on a dream had by guitarist Lockett Pundt. Pundt dreamt Cox, himself and another friend, "walked into the sun together, knowing it was going to kill us. It's about companionship and facing uncertainty with someone to share it with."[4] This theme of camaraderie is underlined by the lyrics of the song in, "I walk into the sun, with you the only one." The music for "Strange Lights" was written by Pundt.

The idea for the song "Lake Somerset" reportedly came from a trip to the zoo when Cox was hung-over and he saw a turtle eating some carrots.[5] After relaying this information to director James Sumner, he created a music video for the band available for viewing only on YouTube.[6]

Cox claims that "if there's one thing that we succeed in very well with Cryptograms, It’s evoking a feeling of someone who's woken up after being strung out one too many nights... It's the feeling of being lovesick and very spaced-out."[2]

Reception

On Metacritic, Cryptograms received an average score of 77, giving it "generally positive reviews". The lowest score the album received from a music critic was 60. Upon release, the album received Pitchfork Media's "Best New Music" accolade. At the conclusion of 2007, the record made it onto many music publications' best-of lists:

Additionally, an article by Pitchfork Media gave musicians the opportunity to publicise their favourite records for 2007; Cryptograms received praise from Ed Droste of the band Grizzly Bear, who ranked the album as his 3rd favourite of 2007. James Righton of the band Klaxons, listed the album as being in his top 5 for the year. Cole Alexander, friend of the band and lead singer of the Black Lips, included the record in his top 10.

Pitchfork Media also held its first readers poll. Cryptograms was voted as one of the top 25 albums of the year, coming in at #19.[16]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Bradford Cox.

  1. "Intro" - 2:50
  2. "Cryptograms" - 4:17 (download)
  3. "White Ink" - 4:59
  4. "Lake Somerset" - 3:49
  5. "Providence" - 4:08 (download)
  6. "Octet" - 7:50
  7. "Red Ink" - 3:40
  8. "Spring Hall Convert" - 4:29 (download)
  9. "Strange Lights" - 3:38 (download)
  10. "Hazel St." 3:48
  11. "Tape Hiss Orchid" - 1:12
  12. "Heatherwood" - 3:37 (download)

Personnel

  • Bradford Cox - vocals, electronics, tapes, drum, acoustic slide guitar, bell set, accordion, electric guitar
  • Moses Archuleta - synth/pads, drums, electronics, treatments
  • Josh Fauver - tremelo bass, bass, reverse guitar, vocals
  • Colin Mee - guitar, tapes, electric guitar
  • Lockett Pundt - synth bells, guitar, acoustic slide guitar, hammond organ, vocals
  • Chris Bishop - recording
  • Nicolas Vernhes - mixing
  • Jennifer Munson - mastering

Music videos

Screenshot Title/Description
File:StrangeLightsVideo.JPG "Strange Lights"
Never released as a single, Deerhunter's "Strange Lights" is directed by James Sumner and features a series of bright, colourful lights being flashed across Bradford Cox's face to correlate with the song's title. At the end of the music video the camera draws back to a wideshot that reveals several women who were responsible for pushing Cox's head during the video.
File:LakeSomersetVideo.JPG "Lake Somerset"
Similar to "Strange Lights", "Lake Somerset" has not been released as a single and was also directed by James Sumner. It features the director dressed in a turtle suit eating pizza for over three minutes. Lead singer Bradford Cox says of the video, "I wanted a video with a turtle eating a piece of pizza". [5]

External links

References

  1. ^ "Interview: Deerhunter". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Interview: Deerhunter". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 2007-10-30.
  3. ^ "KRANK 104 - Deerhunter, "Cryptograms"". Brainwashed.com. Retrieved 2007-06-09.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Cryptograms LP + Fluorescent Grey EP Lyrics". Deerhunter Blog. Retrieved 2007-07-16.
  5. ^ a b "Deehunter: "The Ladness of Slaughter"". Nerve Magazine. Retrieved 2007-06-09.
  6. ^ "Deehunter: "Lake Somerset"". You Tube: jamessumneriii. Retrieved 2007-06-09.
  7. ^ "My Favourite 20 Albums of 2007". Almost Cool. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  8. ^ "DiS's albums of 2007: 15-11". Drowned In Sound. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  9. ^ "Album of the Year". Idolator. Retrieved 2007-01-20.
  10. ^ "Top 50 Albums of 2007 (Part One)". No Ripcord. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  11. ^ "Signs of Life 2007: Best Music". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  12. ^ "Top 50 Albums of 2007". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  13. ^ "The year the music thrived". The Phoenix. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  14. ^ "Tiny Mix Tapes Favourite Albums of 2007". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  15. ^ "pazzandjop07". Village Voice. Retrieved 2007-01-27.
  16. ^ "2007 Pitchfork Readers Poll". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
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