Some bands never seem to get old. Deerhoof have managed to put a new face on their sound with every album they've released. La Isla Bonita takes a sharp left turn from the synthesizer sounds of Breakup Songs. This time around they look back to their punk rock roots and manage to squeeze as much as possible out of them. Bass, drums and guitar move in and out of interlocking grooves while Satomi Matsuzaki's fill in the spaces in between. The vocals are filled with the nonsensical phrases we've grown to expect, but the spare arrangements of the songs give them new meaning. The songs are alternately funky and heavy, providing some of the most accessible material from Deerhoof in ages. Listen to shoegazey "Mirror Monster," bass driven "Last Fad" and the seemingly Bjork inspired "Black Pitch" and then listen to the rest of the album.

• grey marble vinyl pressing
• music label: Polyvinyl Record Company 2014

reviewed by Hank Ohs 11/2014