Halcyon Digest

Does this bump in the whip? No. Does this make me stare out onto the road, my skin itching as I slowly drive into the gray amorphousness that swallows me, suspending me in space while time is slowed to the point where I can feel each millisecond seep into my skin, settle into my bones before it slides up my throat as I croak out the melodies to these songs, my body stretching forward as I feebly try to make contact with my loved ones, who sit just outside of this slow-time and no space as the grayness slowly digests me, breaking down each of my memories until I the only things that occupy my minds are the words to these songs? Yes. 
 This music seems to have its own temporality, like a voice is reaching out from somewhere I’ve never been, but somehow know, a nostalgia that feels more like an eerie horror than an old home. From the off-kilter percussive throbbing of “Earthquake” to the murmuring introduction of “Sailing” to the moaning that punctuates the beginning of “Basement Scene”’s chorus to “Helicopter”’s clacking which seems to rebound into itself, so much of this album feels like it is enlisting me into its own slanted rhythm, a rhythm just off beat with mine. At certain moments, it feels like I’m touching a time completely different from mine, not in the sense of a past or future, but a different sort of present, a present that moves slower, labors over every moment. Even the faster songs, like “Don’t Cry” and “Revival” and “Desire Line”, feel disjointed, feel like a world of their own. The closing song seems to me to sum up the whole of the album in its final seconds, which simply cut away just as it feels that the song is building to a conclusion, a demonstration that the music is ever so slightly distended, just a shade out of sync, recorded in a margin of time that suddenly closes itself off before we get the chance to hear what the music is fading towards. A beautiful album. 9/10. Fucking incredible.

Here's a band I didn't know anything about prior to today. Very indie. I was in a band once that had this same indie feel and I wonder now if the guitarist/singer was a fan. The first track sets the tone for the album in an unfortuate way. It's a 5-minute mishmash of rhythmic noise, sulky guitars, and shoegaze vocals. While the album does pick up from time to time, the rythmic noise elements and shoegaze vocals remain constant irritants. These lyrics are so far into their own navel that they can see their backbone. The album is self-indulgent and self-important to the point that it loses all connection to the audience and listening to it begins to feel uncomfortably voyeuristic. That said, the album is saved from a one-star by the fact that there are a few tracks that still manage to connect and because the recording production is top-notch. It really is very well produced. But you can only polish a turd so much. No matter how shiny it is, it's still crap.

Hello! Feminist Killjoy here... I spent a lot of this listen making a mental list of some of the female artists that I hope are coming up. (We've been listening for a month and we've heard exactly one.) So, while this album wasn't unpleasant to listen to, it had me wondering if maybe Deerhunter's dad was on the judging panel? And this isn't to say I think they're bad. If they lived down the street and played the local clubs, I'd think they are awesome. I'd be super proud of them for making stuff. But I found most of this unremarkable in the grand scheme of music and I can't help but wonder who was passed over to include it in the 1001. My rating of them is low perhaps because I'm mad at the list-makers of the world. Songs I enjoyed: Earthquake, Desire Lines, He Would Have Laughed. (And I've listened to these three several times now and like them more each time. I'm glad I've heard them. They are good.) Song I actively disliked: Basement Scene

Oh my god. I don’t know how I’m supposed to get into music that sounds like the musicians are bored out of their minds even while making it. There are two tracks that DON’T do this and they’re nothing special.

I liked this one way better than most of the others. It sounds like someone left a Weezer or Sonic Youth album out in the rain for a week. It just SOUNDS filthy which is neat.

a pretty standard indie rock album, nothing revolutionary.

This couldn't be more hipster indie if it were wearing flannel and suspenders, a pork pie hat, and a ridiculous beard while drinking an IPA and planning a cross-country road trip. No, thank you.

Helicopter was the best song. I probably could of read a haiku about baked beans though and that would of been the best song so it’s not saying much. Oh little baked bean How you taunt me on the plate My fork can’t stab you

Listened to this several times. Like some individual tracks by them but doesn't do a whole lot for me really. Favorite track is the last one. I like some of their more recent albums more.

indie tranqui

Great album. Really enjoy pretty much all Deerhunter up through this album. Desire Lines was one of my favorite songs from this era. 5/5

From what I heard, this was so atmospheric and intense and nice in an odd way. My favorite Deerhunter sound so far!

This was my favorite album of that year.

This is right up my alley. Like a good indie movie soundtrack or something.

I dug it. Definitely leans heavily alt/indie, but there was some nostalgia in it as well, at times reminding me of the more diverse Beatles albums.

I love it. Great album. While I would say that all of these tracks are highlights, the highlights of the highlights are: 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, and 10.

beautiful album. Very much of my taste. Glad I listened to this one all the way through

Fucking amazing indie rock. A good portion of distorts and effects while maintaining the melodic strum of the guitar in the calm of the storm. Good vocal parts where it just feels right. Psychedelic rock like the old days.

Mellow songs, catchy vocals and crisp tones. Definitely stands out as a distinctive and enjoyable album.

Highlights - Revival, Sailing, Desire Lines Halcyon Digest piqued my curiosity from the get-go, establishing a sense of wonder. It settled on a shoegazer-like, progression of dreamy and foreboding, reverb-heavy guitars...Revival is a strong, upbeat number that can be found at home in vintage clothing shops and hipster bars that sell $8 pitchers of PBR. Sailing is an auditory achievement that obviously takes the listener on a sailing trip conveyed by samples and the artist's drifting vocals. It's clear Deerhunter draws inspiration from low-fi pop acts such as Stereolab and Lush (Is it coincidence that Lush and Deerhunter both have different songs called \"Desire Lines?\")

Low Fi fuzzy loveliness!

A surprise from the list, something from the 2010s that I missed and has merit. I might have even dismissed this as slight if I heard it when it was new. But it is not slight, there's more to this than reverb + delay sad indie pop of the 2010s. Earlier this year I heard a little bit that seemed even more warped & unsettling, so Deerhoof will be on my radar now.

Deerhunter have made a fine record here, but to my ears, they don’t do much to separate themselves from their indie contemporaries of the time. It sounds like what you would expect a 2010’s indie record to sound like, if that makes sense.

Spacey (in a good way, not a Kevin way). 5/10

Soaked in reverb, lost in time. Why does the name Deerhunter pique my interest so quickly? Let the mystery unfold slowly. Remove the mask Scooby doo, who is haunting this fair ground ride...

I first listened to this album around 5 or 6 years ago. I didn't like it and I don't remember why. Perhaps it sounded a little too 'indie' for me. Perhaps I wasn't in the right mindset. I never checked anything else out by them and always thought of them as the bad Deerhunter (as opposed to The Dear Hunter, a band that I love). Today I enjoyed the album from the start and I gave it a few listens. Overall it has a melancholy vibe to it but there are a few upbeat tracks that keep the album interesting. The opening track reminded me of something else that I'd heard before but I couldn't put a finger on what and that really clicked with me for some reason. Memory Boy, Desires Lines and Helicopter also made a strong impression but the closing track, He Would Have Laughed I am on the fence about. There's something about it I love and something that annoys the s*%t out of me I wish it didn't have such an abrupt ending, especially when Spotify likes to get into a related track after the song but that isn't it and I don't blame Deerhunter for that. Maybe I'll figure it out someday. This is one that hovers between a 3 and a 4 and I probably won't decide until I click the button.

It's an alright album, definitely feels like something to put on during a come down period.

I listened to this album numerous times. While I liked the overall vibe of the album, it felt like it all blurred together to the point I couldn't tell you much about it, except the fact that it ends very abruptly. It took a lot of listens before I stopped checking to see if something went wrong.

pretty generic indie sounds of its era, nothing too exciting and not much different from Monomania (which is better). not sure why these people are considered "influential?

I LOVED THIS

I think this a fantastic album. Definitely deserving of being on this list (even though most people on this site seem to disagree). Favorite song: He Would Have Laughed Least favorite song: Sailing

omgeez love

Another of my favourite records of the early 2010s! Chuffed it made this list as it’s a right underrated gem for me. Deerhunter are one of them bands that are huge without ever being big. Ive seen them headline festivals with tens of thousands there to see them, whilst also touring smallish venues for them. They’re consistent too, each record is well worth a listen and I’d probably say this is their best (albeit Monomania will always be my favourite, if that makes sense). He might say some strange things at times but Bradford Cox doesn’t half know how to write, and I’d put Halcyon Digest in that category of ‘essential indie everyone should listen to at least once!’

I hate it so very much when I scan the reviews for an album and the majority of positive comments are suffused with nostalgia. And yet here I am, about to do just that. The only fault I can throw this album's way is that my spotify algorithm LOVES throwing He Would Have Laughed into every mix, but that's not the fault of the music.

amazing

3.06? We can do better than that for the peak of indie rock. Deerhunter were a band that I was completely infatuated with this time last year, and remain in my top 5 artists ever - I believe they're the only one to show up on this list (Swans, Boris, Unwound aren't here, as I'd expect, and I'll only end up talking about Jim O'Rourke via the Wilco connection) so I'd best make this review worth it. I even named my band after one of their albums! So I do feel a real affinity to this band. Not this album particularly, but that's only because Microcastle and Weird Era Continued are as close to perfect as you can get with indie rock, and Halcyon Digest isn't far off either. A big complaint people seem to have with this album is that it's "pretentious". To me, that word in the context of music means an album that's kind of up its own arse. Listening to songs like Don't Cry, Memory Boy, Revival, Coronado and Fountain Stairs, I really can't see how that could possibly be the case. Those songs are quite simple and, importantly, know they're quite simple. They don't do anything more than they need to and start citing philosophy and spouting psuedo-intellectualism. Bradford Cox's lyrical style is effectively just stream of consciousness, and with that in mind, going into this album looking squarely at the lyrics is the wrong approach. It's a mood-setter, and for the vast majority of the songs, outlines the feel of them perfectly. There are exceptions to this rule of course, but those are actually usually the standouts. Take a song like like Helicopter, which is, for my money, the best song on here, where they crafted an entire story accessible in the liner notes to create context and backstory for the subject of the song. It elevates the song a fair bit - but it's not necessary to enjoying the song, and the themes of loneliness and isolation on that song are still poignant even without that. Or the 7-minute closing track He Would Have Laughed, dedicated to extremely talented garage rocker Jay Reatard, a contemporary of Deerhunter and collaborator with Bradford Cox on one occasion. It's a song dealing with his death and it's a fitting tribute, with the song ending so abruptly, just as it feels like it's winding down. Now, the music itself is on another level. On this album they distill the shoegazier moments from Microcastle and some excellent pop songwriting (Revival and Coronado are so clearly inspired by The Beatles at points) that they still add their own noisy edge to, similarly to what Pavement were doing a decade prior. The way Earthquake builds throughout its runtime is to die for, the outro on Desire Lines is absolutely perfect, somehow eclipsing what would be the best chorus on the album if not for Helicopter, and speaking of which, the bridge between the final two choruses on Helicopter is a particularly euphoric moment. There's a moment on He Would Have Laughed when an acoustic guitar comes in and the feel of the song shifts entirely, but it's still the same song at its core. This part of the review is obviously going to be a little more personal to me, but I do feel like Bradford Cox, as a songwriter, creates queer music. Halcyon Digest and especially Monomania are the best examples of this, but the brand of queerness on this album is one that I've always found myself identifying with heavily. There's an essay that RateYourMusic user spectreview wrote about a similar thing - I'll link it at the end of the review. But there is something in there that I, as someone who does struggle with queer identity, find extremely comforting. There's a certain warmth to this album at its core, beneath its cold exterior. It's so easy to discount an album like this as "hipster rubbish for flannel-wearing IPA drinkers", but you could do a similar thing for any other album that's ever existed. The Dark Side of the Moon? Basic shite for people who don't listen to that much music really. Highway to Hell? Novelty music that old people with bad beards take seriously. The Glowing Man by Swans? Overly-long wank that never ends. That last one is my favourite album of all time, and I love Dark Side as well. It's easy to discredit an album on arbitrary means, and sometimes maybe we should. But this is still a significant album, and I love it more than about 995 other albums on this list. "Now they are through with me." Also, here's the essay I was talking about earlier in the review: https://rateyourmusic.com/list/spectreview/deerhunter-were-my-first-queer-salve/ 10/10

Never heard of them before. They couple bouncy pop with quirky background sounds and slightly fuzzy vocals--reminds me of the kind of band only the cool kids knew about. Basement Scene sounds like the Everly Brothers on acid, and what's not to like about that? Elsewhere, they sound like the sadly pissed-off children of Jesus and Mary Chain who wished their parents let them outside to ride bikes like the other kids. Nice sax in Coronado! He Would Have Laughed is a beautiful end to an album that has definitely been a journey--a good one.

This is very indie pop/rock. With a little bit of flair/artistry sprinkled in. Which is to say, I loved it.

5/5

I love this album. It sounded great when it came out and sounds great today. I can get not seeing how incredible it is because maybe it only speaks to a certain breed, but man it's good

I rather enjoyed this collection of tracks - sounds like white album period Beatles, where catchy pop melodies mingle with dark soundscapes and post psychedelia. Well worth a listen.

I've been meaning to listen to Deerhunter!

Glad this one is on the list. It was my 2nd most favourite album from 2010. Perhaps I liked it a bit better then than now - listening to it again now it is noticeable that not every song is strong - but still a great record overall, and I will have to go for 5 stars. Favourite song: Desire Lines, which seems to be the consensus view Score: 9/10

Deerhunter was never meant to be a pretty band. The accidental brainchild of gay frontperson Bradford Cox, they had always meant the punky band to be a side-project, only finding the side-project blowing up in the cool and hip indie sphere of Pitchfork as the band gradually turned more ambient and neo-psychedelic. But that mean, abrasive and standoffish undercurrent still stayed, just hidden under layers of very pretty guitar noise. Halcyon Digest is Deerhunter's peak in creating beautiful soundscapes. Earthquake, Sailing and Basement Scene are great vibe songs, gently creating a watery soundscape to create a melancholic mood. But even in these songs, there is something uncanny going on: Earthquake has those gulping sounds and very soft but thumping percussion, Sailing has droning guitar feedback buried in the background, while Bradford covers their voice in layers of feedback and compression in Basement Scene. They evoke a sense of nostalgia, but it's not a simple nostalgia; more like something has burned off the edges of the memory, whether by the difficulty of recalling, or because the memory is actually painful. Surrounding the slower songs are some great poppy and punky songs like Don't Cry, Revival and Memory Boy. But even in the seemingly happier songs, the lyrics carry a sinister undertone, like the subject is actually going through something traumatic; Don't Cry suggesting a target of paedophilia being poached. Main single Helicopter is inspired by the fictional story of a gay victim of human trafficking falling from a helicopter. He Would Have Laughed is an eulogy to a friend of the band, comprised out of a repeating weird melody, seemingly random phrases, before after five minutes the clouds seem to part and a folksy guitar appears as the line "Where did my friends go?" is being sung, before the melody returns and after a short while, the song suddenly cuts out, almost as a metaphor for the last moments of consciousness before dying. Sure, dealing with such subject matter seem to be a little tactless and crass (again, that mean undercurrent), but these songs share that subtext of gay anger and longing. A confusing feeling, but Bradford Cox never plays their cards straight in this album. It's always pretty layers stacked upon sharp layers. However, the other members of the band help this album from sinking into despair. Moses Archuleta's simple, no-nonsense drumming gives the songs a lumbering sense of force, while co-songwriter and singer Lockett Puntt gives two great songs acting as counterforce. His songs Desire Lines and Fountain Stairs are almost anthemic and U2-like, especially with that repetitive drive from the guitar, were it not for the longing vibe. With the sense of anthemic drive, the beautiful guitar tones and the gay subtext all in perfect balance, its easy to see why this is Deerhunter's most beloved album. Still, it's not quite my personal favourite album. I tend to gravitate more towards the earlier Microcastle, for its better sense of drive, or the later Monomania, for taking the angry subtext into text. Even Fading Frontiers, which is a way more uneven album than the rest of their catalog, has better pop highlights with even prettier sounds. But still, Halcyon Digest is a damn fine work from one of my favourite bands. Decent 5

i will never not think of kyle

Alright

Wish I could give it half a star. Man I love Deerhunter, but also hell some songs do go on for a bit too long. 9/10

Lovely stuff. Reminds me of numerous 80s indie bands, Echo, Siouxsie, Cure, Pixies and others. Definitely gonna buy this.

I love this record. One of my favorites of the 2010s and one I revisit a ton. Songs like “Revival”, “Coronado”, and “Desire Lines” are all fantastic songs. Easy 5/5 for me

Ooh, I like this. Kind of feels like an indie horror movie with a positive, if bittersweet ending.

кайфовое инди, сигаретс афтер секс? лёгкий туманный приятный звук. нескучные аранжировки, откисалово, одно из немногих, что тут понравилось

I'm not super impressed or enchanted but it's pleasant and easy to listen and I've already listened to it three times since yesterday and I'm going to listen to it more so 5 stars are probably fair

oh wow i had to relisten to those songs a few times they’re devastating fav song: basement scene (makes me feel a certain way), helicopter (i have no friends), he would have laughed (the lyrics, i don’t want to grow up)

When I first heard this album at 19, it was one of those experiences where I just kept saying to myself, “you can make a song like this?” It is still a sentiment I feel today. I come back to this one nearly every year. It is one of my most heavily played albums, and yet I am constantly finding new things to love and appreciate. The tripped out anxieties filtered through a dreamlike (and sometimes nightmarish) lens have always been incredible relatable to me, and the sonic soundscape only echos those feelings. Even as I evolve and change as a person, this album still remains relevant. A strange mix of the beauty and fears found in life, Halcyon Digest will be an album I’ll never grow tired of, and one that I think should be heard by anyone feeling a little lost and introspective.

I really liked this. I went through and listened to their whole discography today.

крайне приятный альбомчик

Un álbum con un sonido muy experimental, el cuál recuerda a las canciones de los Beatles en diferentes aspectos, con un buen uso de sintetizadores y guitarras

I like 1 song from this so 5 stsrs

Finally, some good music

mastapiece

guite good

A very lovely, beautifully intricate and well produced piece of contemporary indie/psych pop. Excellent cover art as well. Added to my snow playlist. Helicopter is an incredible tune.

Unreal. Favorite for life

At the time of writing this, I haven’t finished listening, but what I’ve heard so far makes this an easy 5.

Alternative rock, 2010. One of the greatest albums of the 2000s because of its production and its composition. Listeners of every generation could enjoy this LP because there is a strong connection between classic and original. All the songs are perfectly disposed during the tracklist and the project feels like a true masterpiece: songs like "Desire Lines" and "He Would Have Laughed" are a prove of it.

M'ha encantat. Alt-brit-rock!

Super refreshing and unique. A great listen.

Me encantó. Lei año 2010 y pensé "ah nuevisimo" y despues cai que pasaron 10 años. Tiene un monton de capas de cuerdas superpuestas que con buenos auriculares te derriten el cerebro cuando les prestas atencion. Amo este tipo de arreglos, y el disco está remil bien producido. Las voces tambien son excelentes, un callback muy bueno a Arcade Fire o a Jesus and Mary Chain si querés ir un poco para atrás. La verdad me voló la cabeza. La tema tica del disco es otra cosa que me gustó, creo que es el primer disco que habla mas o menos de como es descubrir musica nueva y sentir felicidad al respecto. Faveadisimo.

Fire. Kinda radioheady but its own thing. Really cool and varied

"Halcyon Digest" is the fifth studio album by American indie rock band Deerhunter. Psychedelic pop, deam pop, indie pop and noise pop. Yes, they all fit. According to lead singer and guitarist Bradford Cox, the album title is a reference to a collection of fond memories and even invented ones and the way we write/re-write memories to be what we want to remember. That's pretty much the overarching theme in a number of these songs. Other band members included Moses Archuleta (drums) Joshua Fauver (bass) and Lockett Pundt (guitar, vocals). The album had universal acclaim. A thump followed by a synth swishing sounding like turning pages in a book or time warping starts "Earthquake." Guitars strings come in along with a hand clap. Eventually, another guitar trembling is layered. Cox singing extremely slowly about the end of a relationship. As with many of these songs, there's a dreamy quality. The pace picks up with melodic guitars in their single "Memory Boy." A moving bass and drums. Cox is reconstructing the places he's been. Lockett Pundt takes the lead vocals in the wonderful "Desire Lines." Layered, harmonious guitars come in immediately. Pundt sings about walking free and urging someone to come with him. Classic pop structure in the beginning with a great vocal chorus and keeps building. The song then explodes gloriously into dual, layered guitars escalating the scales. Four minutes of heaven that could last forever. An indie pop classic. The album ends with "He Would Have Laughed," a tribute to indie artist Jay Reatard who past away. High-pitched guitar strings with tribal percussion and drums. The song changes to a more pychedelic folk-pop song. Cox's lyrics are cryptic in his tribute. Some of the songs on this album are dreamy, trippy and pychedelic pop, while others are sparse and stripped down. There's quite a variety within and between songs with the above descriptors. Mostly, the lyrics are positive and fit the Halcyon-themed motif. There's really no weak spots in this album. It's great on the headphones. Hands down, it's one of my favorite albums of the 2000's. A must listen.

I love this album.

Vilket otroligt album. Dom lite lugnare låtarna bidrar och är inte bara utfyllnad. Outrot på Desire Lines är så jävla läckert

Well this was a nice find, I liked it!

I was slightly annoyed to see this as Spotify constantly suggests it to me. I’ve seen them live and don’t remember having strong feelings about them. It really won me over this time, not sure why. I’m a bit annoyed Spotify was right

großartig

few things make me happier than a really, really good alternative album - 10/10

Heard this for first time around 2014. The last track is my favorite, and I don't think there is a bad song on the album.

Amazing album

Four stars and a half An all-time classic, and an album which still holds its own years after it was released. As is usually the case with those classic albums, I won't write a full-blown review here given that others have already written wonderful stuff about them and there's not much I can add that I feel could be relevant and interesting. Halcyon Digest is just a timeless gem for anyone who has even a remote interest in indie-rock. Go and listen to it a.s.a.p. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 944 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 26 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 15 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important to me): 16

Fantastic indie rock, heavy, but buoyant sound, bit of shoegaze. An album that really encapsulates that era of indie rock. Amazing production all around, fantastic songs tied together by themes of nostalgia and longing.

This kind of music is right up my alley and I liked every song but it gets a five mostly because I listened to it while on a really relaxing walk on the first nice day in February. Immaculate vibes

I heard this in 2010 and loved it and i still listen to it every once in a while and love it. Seen them play live 4 or 5 times and loved it. Its beautiful, its crushing, it is cute, it's rough it is almost perfect. Fav tracks: helicopter, he would have laughed

First time listening to this album and I was in love with it from start to finish. Something about “Earthquake” hit my soul wherever lives memories of floating through nights of live music, it made me emotional!! The effervescent psychedelic songs, the campy upper songs, it all just hits for me

I dismissed this album when it was released as peak P4k fodder -- unintelligible lyrics, crunchy guitars, nothing particularly danceable or beautiful or stunningly innovative. To me, it sounded just like everything else that was being played in Urban Outfitters at the time. But in retrospect, I think this album is great. Sure, it doesn't seem groundbreaking in the way some other albums on this list surely are, but it does sound like something that would still stand out if it were released now, 13 years later. The songs are varied enough that it kept me interested and curious about what would come next. There's so much beautiful, layered, subtle texture in the bass & more muted background percussion. It reminds me of some of the Beatles' albums where I still discover "new" elements each time I listen.

Love this gentle album

As a wannabe psychedelic junkie, I approve this album.

Oh man, so good. Coronado <3 <3 <3

Brill, listened to it again all over. Deep, dark, and textural.

Great record

I loved it. I was already a fan of Deerhunter and had no idea

Never had the chance to listen to Deerhunter. This is... really good!

was massively into these in the early 10's, dropped off the radar a bit but still sounds great

most excellent!

What a beautiful album. It's like a sea of friendly existential dread. Knew of this band but had not listened to them much if at all. Looking forward to exploring them more, and if this album is any indication I will be a new fan.

Good this

Great

Fitting that I get this considering that the tenth anniversary of the album's release has passed. Very cool sounds all around. Favorites include Desire Lines, Helicopter, Fountain Scene and He Would Have Laughed.

this was wholly unexpected - i'd never heard the name before, and while i immediately liked the album name, that was all i knew. i really love this album - i love the prodigious reverb, i love the weird repetitions, i love the vocal style...i'm genuinely surprised and delighted

Never heard of this one. Seems like there are a lot of those.

Very good ambient rock/shoegaze. Definitely recommend to a friend