Deerhoof have been wreaking merry havoc on record for almost 20 years and show no signs of mellowing here. Fifteen tracks flash by in just over 40 minutes, and you emerge feeling both energised and slightly baffled by their erratic artpop. There’s plenty to explain why the band remain a cult concern: singer Satomi Matsuzaki’s naive vocals and lyrics can be grating, and not everyone is drawn to songs entitled The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Retinue. But even for non-devotees, this is a less challenging listen than might be expected. There’s an abundance of hooks and twisted melodies buried within its pile-up of ideas. And for every aimless doodle (Patrasche Come Back), there’s a taut garagey thrash (Dispossesor).
