Halcyon Digest

Nice sound, easy to listen, but too plain. Needs some more rhythm

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

it was a cool vibe. i’m vaguely familiar with the dream pop sub genre. i listened to it twice while getting ready for work.

Good, they have some worthy originals on this album

A rather moody indie record. It’s fine but he sounds like he’s drooling the whole time. At least it has some semblance of atmosphere.

It was interesting, very melodic, quiet, thinking music. It reminded me a lot of Vampire Weekend, but not as good. It was ok, I don't think I'll be recommending it to anyone

Not bad, but nothing special.

I can get into dream/psychedelic/indie pop, but this one didn't provide enough of an engaging soundscape for me. In fact, this album felt like it just dragged on and on, a lot longer than the 45 minute runtime lead me to believe. It might require another listen. Best Songs: He Would Have Laughed Listen Again: Maybe

This came out around the time I started reading Pitchfork. I listened to it quite a bit as it had some hype. Didn't click with it then and didn't now either.

Relaxing album to listen to

Musicality: 4 - many layers, interesting songs, light and heavy Production & Sound: 4 - good production Artistic Expression: 4 - fairly unique sound Performance: 3 - nothing in particular stood out Engagement & Enjoyment: 4 - kept me engaged, pleasant atmosphere to it Decent album, probably needs another listen

It's fine. Some cool instrumentation, but not really my jam.

Alright

Blew away my expectations. Intro of the first song gave me flashbacks to the slog of another alternative album, but it quickly got better. Super chill vibe.

It's a decent album, but super slow in the first half. I hate that the album art doesn't match the album at all

Pretty unique album. A good amount of saves in there for sure. Desire Lines was pog

Gives kinda offsetting vibes

It's OK. Drags on a bit.

I’ve listened to this album before, but never really any more of Deerhunter’s work. Which is strange, because this is definitely good enough to warrant further investigation. Sure, there are times when it’s fairly standard guitar-based indie, but there are other times when it rises above those confines to create something a bit transcendent, like Desire Lines, or something that sounds like I’m in a very pleasant dream, like Helicopter and He Would Have Laughed. The general theme of nostalgia and melancholy appeals to me too. 3.5

Loving this vibe. Denis told me it’s a classic

Decent. Not great not bad. Chill music

Great alternative/indie rock album from Deerhunter. I did not know who this band was until listening to this album through here. Dreamy and psychedelic. Favorite Song(s): "Desire Lines", "Helicopter", "Coronado"

Just alright. Very mellow indie XRT feeling album

A lot of interesting sounds but nothing really grabbed me.

Listened to this while playing Lost Ruins of Arnak solo. I lost. This is the second album that I know quite well on this list. I used to love this album when it came out...but it kinda fell a bit flat after 13 years. I really wanted to give it a 4...but it didn't feel like it was still there for me. It still is a good album, but not one that I'd come back to more often.

i will never not think of kyle

Not for me

It’s gonna be an album I will love once I listen to it more. Memory boy and Desire Lines got me at first tho.

Really good album, very dreamy

Sounded pretty standard to me, not a bad album but nothing i will remember.

Quite decent but not my vibes.

Just about tolerable.

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

Ethereal fuzzy psych rock songs that evoke 60s bubblegum pop with soft vocals, light riffs, lo-fi production, and strange background effects. In its lightest moments, it's dreamy minimalist lo-fi folk that I couldn't resist obsessing over. Has a lot of that nostalgia factor that makes them relaxing and pleasant. I don't like some song transitions like "Sailing" to "Memory Boy" which I found too harsh. But in general, almost every song ends soft and quiet, but starts with a bang, meaning stringing them together is not as pleasant as it could be. Maybe buildups would be appreciated. Appropriate intro and closer. Hits are dispersed. The weaker tracks "Fountain Stairs" and "Coronado" are near the end, but they're not boring so it's still appreciated and not necessary to keep my engagement. Also, I really hate how they cut off "He Would Have Laughed" like that. Dinosaur Jr can do it because it's edgy and fits the lo-fi noisy vibe, but here it ruins a satisfying conclusion to this dreamlike record. I listed everything I didn't like. But I honestly had a good time with it all, and tons of highlights. Fix the transitions, change that closing, brownie points if they make the weakest songs a bit better, then there's that final star.

Listened to this when it first came out, good album

Solid indie rock album. Nothing really stood out to me. 3

There is nothing, and I mean nothing extraordinary about this album. uninspired Lo-fi indie distortion rock that meanders between annoying and almost good. There are one or two good songs, but the album as a whole I'd pass on.

Quite good, and totally new to me

Chill indie.

Fantastic indie rock album! Like a warm blanket on a rainy afternoon this album is melancholic and welcoming. I listened to this album a bit when it came out but never dug into it as much as I should. Will definitely be looking for this on vinyl.

Simply a bit boring. No song captured my attention. All digestible but nothing captivating.

Tried this one and found it unspeakably dull.

Indie rockexperimental rockpsychedelic popnoise rock. Agradable. Y sugiere grupos parecidos chulos.

I grew up listening to this kind of indie rock in this time period. While I don't dislike the album, I'm failing to recognize how this album stands out among the other lo-fi, garage rock albums of the era. Good album, but not among the 1001 must listens of all time.

yuck revival desire lines

This is like pure distilled 200 proof indie alt rock. Which isnt a bad thing. It does come off as shoegaze-y and a little contrived sometimes though. 3/5

Each song sounds ethereal and dreamy. Having heard this album, I long for distortion.

wasn't really paying attention but it was still nice

I generally like Deerhunter - this album was pretty solid. I'm not sure if it belongs on this list though, I feel like they are a band that hugely benefitted from the music-blog cultural influence of the 2000's and 2010's I know this was praised as one of the best albums of 2010, but one of my main criticisms of this list is that maybe some years just don't produce amazing, must listen albums.

Liked it. Probably not remarkable enough to listen to ever again, but it was nice enough.

I liked the sound of this, but it didn't stand out massively for me.

liked it. Weird cover choice

Meh.

This basically sounded like a very boring Tame Impala record

Good to have some experimental and slightly obscure indie music on this list, I guess. I’ve listened to Deerhunter on occasion, but don’t find them to be that memorable.

I enjoyed this album quite a bit .. but .. it was odd. Non-of the songs i thought were good enough to add to my "1000 Albums" playlist.

Always a fan of the softer more experimental side of Deerhunter. Favorite Tracks: “Memory Boy” “He Would have Laughed”. 4.5

Deerhunter has been a band I've known about but had not really listened to until this. It took a minute, but I was pleasantly surprised. They have a lot of great influences and mesh it together into something truly unique and genuine. This album has some beautiful, catchy guitar work with really interesting keyboards and experimentation that carry the songs in ways I didn't expect. (I like the sax, too.) A few songs are taking some time to sink in but this is a keeper for sure.

„Nett …“

A theme of romantizing the past and a blend of various styles, including folk, shoegaze and electronica. The result is an album that sounds like particularly raw, unpolished, and melancholy indie rock.

A bit like if drowning in a swamp was a pleasant experience. Too samey to be anything more than fine.

HL: “Helicopter”, “Don’t Cry”, “He Would Have Laughed”, “Earthquake” Not quite sure how this made it on the list, but I’m glad it’s here. I believe it’s still in the newest edition, whereas other 2000s indie records by Dirty Projectors, MGMT & Grizzly Bear were culled, so I’ll take it as a representation of that era. “Helicopter” was the only song I knew before, crackin’ good tune, that **** August 18, 2023

Interesting & relaxing album, I particularly liked Revival and Helicopter

Not bad. Definitely a specimen of the indie rock sound from this time. The production and instrumentation sound great. I didn’t listen close enough to get a feel for the song quality but it does make me want to listen more.

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

ok

3+

My local college indie station kinda has a limited selection even though with their license they could play a lot more stuff. This was slightly above middle of the road, but feels like something I would get really interested in if it happened to play on that college station. Basement Scene is really good though, and the lyrics were cool. BT - Basement Scene - Desire Lines - Don't Cry - Helicopter

Best Song: Helicopter. I liked the loopy reverb when paired with the dreamy vocals. Worst Song: Revival. This just sounds like any other indie rock band of the time. The band's strength is in its more muted, leaned-back outputs. Overall: An album so sleepy I kept forgetting I was listening to it. Not bad, but an album to played only at the end of a long day.

Richly atmospheric and melodic, with carefully deployed uses of distortion and noise that give the sound a lot depth. I don't have a lot of interest in Indie bands, but I enjoyed this quite a bit. Fave Songs: Memory Boy, Don't Cry, Desire Lines, He Would Have Laughed, Revival, Sailing

I'd seen this bandied around for a while and finally had my chance to check it out. I was disappointed. It's not at all what I thought- just an average inde group, well produced and unoffensive but a bit nothingy really.

Halcyon - denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful. If nothing else, thank you Deerhunter for expanding my vocabulary, best of luck in your spooring endeavours. 2 lexicomane dictionaries out of 5 📙📙

Always felt a bit mixed about this album and it does take a song to get into the groove but then is very good.

Unusual but it was oddly relaxing to listen to. Very soft in delivery, with nice melodic touches.

Not sure why this is on the list as it is pretty much the most standard and average indie rock album that you could create

Cool

meh

I quite liked this, pretty dreamy and hazy with a slightly folky feel.

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)

Pop tranquilo, con voz suave y algo susurrante. Totalmente desconocidos. De la hornada de grupos americanos de este estilo. Se puede escuchar en cualquier ambiente.

olvidable

In what world was this, "released September 27, 2010 to universal critical acclaim."?!? There is nothing here. It's a total waste of time and the band should be ashamed for having made this. This is 46 minutes of filler.

The first song seems like an anomaly for the album. I've never even heard of Deerhunter, even though this was released relatively recently. Not too bad.

Completely fine. Seems like a soft, polite Arcade Fire. A little experimental and ethereal at times, but not so much so that it disengages the listener. Desire Lines and Don't Cry were the strongest tracks for me. A lot of other items kind of blended together through a couple of listens.

Didn't get to the end of this...dreary, run of the mill indie fodder

Solid 3.5 here. Wasn’t expecting to enjoy this. Good stuff

Fine

Very chill vibe

Never heard of this or the band, but the 00s are a blind spot for me in general. Does sound a bit like Vampire Weekend maybe in places, proving they aren’t a total blank. This is OK, but all a bit meh. In places there’s promise but they never really seem to get going properly and nothing properly catchy ever really makes an appearance. It’s not dreadful but I doubt I’ll listen again.

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Helicopter (8) 2 - He Would Have Laughed (11) 3 - Desire Lines (6)

Never heard of this group. The album grew on me after a few listens, the track 'Revival' in particular.

This was a very nice, dreamy, indie pop album. That’s pretty much all I have to say. Halcyon Digest is a psychedelic, dream pop record that has pretty indie feeling production and songwriting. I am a personal fan of dreamier, psychedelic music and this is certainly that. It’s not groundbreaking, I can say that, but it’s still pretty good. I was a personal fan of the few slow songs like “Sailing” but the record is still very dreamy. The lyrics and songwriting is all pretty good, the performances are all pretty good, it’s pretty standard all things considered but good nonetheless. This may be highballing the record a bit, but an 8/10 would be a fair rating. It’s a nice dream pop record and it’s good for that reason.

This belongs to the "whole lot of guitars and whining" genre coined by Summer from The O.C., and I'm ok with that. But there's not much that calls me back - there's prettiness, songs with many bits to them, that post-rock marker, and uncluttered sound where even the fuzz sounds clean - and I think, I suppose I could listen to this more. The song with the sax almost made me enthusiastic. All very tasteful, competent and tepid. 3.

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?

OK album, don't mind listening to it, but also wouldn't mind if I missed this in my life. Nothing special

Didn't know this band before this but really enjoyed this album!

Bit too boring with some exceptions

Starts a bit slow but amazing once you get into it. Songs like Helicopter and Revival are the type of songs I can get addicted to.

More like 3.5-3.75 but I'll round up.

Where’s Waldo (or Wally) presents a unique sensory pastiche, one that demands a close examination to seek out hidden delights - much like this album. However, like this album, once you’ve found Waldo, there’s not a lot to keep you pulling it off the shelf. That said, I got sedate Wilco vibes. I can get down with that.

Couple of pretty good songs. Pretty dull though.

Enjoyable.

A generous 3... quite boring but listenable in a lot of places, although a few good tunes to hold it up

surprised this one is here it came out in 2010 so its not that old but it isn't very popular or influential very forgettable indie folk 2.5

Some good tunes. Love the sax. A little too much fuzz on the vocals and throughout.

Meh. Nothing here that I can appreciate... Except the production!? 2/5

It was fine but didn't it sound like British Invasion 60's? Maybe a Dave Clark Five albums with a blanket over the speakers.

This album was still in the 2018 edition of the book, but I can't find it in the 2021 edition.

Will definitely listen to this one again!

Lo-fi indie. the sound is too fuzzy in some places, making it a bit boring. But I can see the hype.

kinda boring.

I expect to come back to this one for closer and closer listens. Very nice production, layers, vocals, and more.

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. (Prior listen)

A weird one. Some of it very ambient and chill some of it actually nice to vibe with. Very indie sound, but fun mostly Saved tracks: Revival, Basement Scene, Coronado

Nice and mellow. Diden't grab me completely but I think it might on the second listen...

Me gustó mucho. Me parece algo extraño que la primer canción terminara siendo la peor, pero, en general, se defiende muy bien. No tengo ni idea de qué genero sea, pero, aunque no me parece tan "único", tiene mucha personalidad. Le doy cuatro porque, aunque tampoco creo que sea una obra maestra, me gustó mucho.

Nighttime gloss on a broadish selection of guitar music is as indie as it gets. The production gives a smooth arc to the proceedings; Call that success. Not a memorable night.

bem bom 4/5

Atmospheric, kinda poppy

Incredibly boring, but maybe I'm missing something.

Never heard of the band, the album or any song from it. It was a dark, moving, psychedelic journey, and I was certainly reminded of other bands like Radiohead and The Beatles at times, but this still felt quite unique. I'm not feeling good at all today, and this made a worthy companion for the dissociations that my down days bring. Some of the songs got a little too boring, and the pacing seemed a little weird sometimes, but it was still a very good album. Favourite: Coronado

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

Very pleasant 3/5

Really enjoyed this. Ethereal

was background noise. did not stand out in anyway that made me care about it.

It was ok, some spacey indie ‘10s action

The mysterious album cover inspires some curiosity, especially being a band I've never heard about. However, it's just generic 2000s rock without much personality. 2 stars is enough

Shoegaze: mumble rap for white hipsters

Okay I guess. Just a bit bland. Nothing bad but nothing good.

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

This was very close to four stars; I certainly liked almost every song here. But too few of the songs really stood out or wowed me, gripped me or made me fall in love. It is almost there, and maybe would earn that next star on a few repeated listens, but for now I have to give it three.

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

an overall pleasant listening experience

Slow tunes, laid back. Only listened twice and didn’t fully get into it. May or May not be my jam, solid 3.

I was looking forward to some dreamy shoegaze when the first song started playing and got left with mostly run-of-the-mill, albeit strong, indie. Great album, but lacking a little something for me to include that last star.

Quite enjoyable, though the start of the album had me thinking it was gunna be even better, still happy with this one

Weirdly excited for this one. very chill. 3 or 4. rounding up cause ive had some stinkers lately.

Pretty good but a little slow. Definitely a grower

Listened Before? N Oh lord. Indie rock from 2010... aka hipster shit. I'm good on this. Just because it has low production value doesn't mean its good. I'll pass. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Revival (because it's short)

Pulling from a lot of different genre influences, but rather than resolving into something like an "eclectic mix", which I'd be more on board with, it just becomes a sludge

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.

Not something I found particularly inspiring. I was tolerant of music like this when it was new and fresh and I'm less enthusiastic about this sound now. There was nothing wrong with it but it didn't strike me as particularly beautiful or well-crafted given the sea of similar music from the same time period. Perhaps I missed something?

Yeah. It’s 2000s Indy rock to a fault. At times hazy, ethereal, others it’s listener friendly, but forgettable. I wouldn’t mind revisiting it, but it likely wouldn’t occur to me.

I like this album but there’s nothing particularly exciting or interesting going on

Never heard of these guys, but this album is pretty cool! Revival is a great song, very chill indie/alt/pop album. Sweet and luscious, just like me 😋🫢

Aparte - beetje zweverige - muziek, afgewisseld met leuke poppie nummers. Goed te luisteren. ***

Not a fan. Pretty dull.

generic slow/medium burn indie grunge-ish lounge music. some Candy Claws-esque synth ideas but I wish there was more

Never heard this group before, so their status as a must-listen intrigued me. Halcyon Digest by Deerhunter is a mellow album that is good on the background but not gripping or a 'must-listen'. As a matter of fact, Halcyon Digest is a generic sampling of the same generic indie music that the US has spewed out for the first 15 years of the century and if you were to play a sampling of this or any other Deerhunter album I'm sure an average music listener would spout off several Franz Ferdinandish-Modest Mousey bands before landing on Deerhunter. 3/5.

Hard to say if these guys, beach fossils, or real estate capture a certain side of 2010 the best. Still holds up. Still makes me think I'm sitting in al's bar. All my friends were there.

Kinda boring?

To ethereal/ experimental.

A few songs I liked we enough, but I listened to this album 3+ times and it just never made an impact on me

Not an amazing indie album but also not terrible

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.

IDK, I guess it was ok. I've already forgotten what it sounded like though.

A lot better and more interesting that other music of the era.

Strong indie rock album.

phenomenal.

Feels like it’s trying to take itself wayyy too seriously. I can only imagine these guys playing this live.

It's alright.

Another boring one to me, better than Steely Dan but not enough for me to bump it to a3. Favorite song: Coronado

Tässä on niin uskomattomasti potentiaalia mutta ei osu vaan tarpeeksi hyvin.. heh.. kuin ammus joka mennee ohimmolle...heh.. ei silmien välliin... Jokainen biisi indie pömpötys.. laitas eri tunteita biisiin ei samat jutut uudestaan yritetä joka biisissä.. Jää tässä pömpötyksen takia sanojen vastuulle.. sanoitus ei vie mennessään osaako tämä ihminen nähdä kauneutta.. Sanat ovat niin pinnalla ja mitään ei yritetä.. pinnalla kuin kuollut kala.. artisti kuin mikäkin surströmming.. iljettävä.. Mutta maistuu kesällä.. heh.. tämä oksennuksen kera.. Lurps lurps ja helle kuivattaa märän mahan märkimän paidan.. kun ei se kala siellä mahassa ui.. pihalle tulee morjesta antamana..

Chill

A fair few great tracks (ex. the opener and closer) and others that are alright if unremarkable.

Int jättebra om du fråggar mig...

Pretty boring. Probably deserves another listen. Most songs below average though. 2.5

Mostly boring

Boring songs that left a lot longer than they actually are.

Miten voi olla, että vaikka olen kuunnellut tän todella monta kertaa, vasta B-puoli alkaa kuulostaa tutulta? Vastaus: jää aina taustamusiikiksi. Desire Lines on kyllä piriste ja tosi hyvä

Tyytyy hyvään soundiin, ja koukut jäävät vaisuiksi. Minkä takia voisi olla perusteltua erotella tämä hittejä sisältävistä kakkosista kuten Musesta. Toisaalta taas mieluummin erottelen tämän ykkösistä kuten The Young Godsista.

Someone please pull me out of this dream pop hole in the ground that I've been shoved into. I didn't like Cocteau Twins bullshit dream pop from the 80's yesterday, and I don't like it any better flashing forward 30 years into the '10's today. The album cover tells me absolutely nothing about the band, I hate that, and it's not even a good photo, it doesn't mesh with the actual album content in any way. Annoying. Pretentious tripe.

Didn't love this album when it came out, didn't understand why it was making so many critics albums-of-the-year lists, still don't like it 13 years later.

I really liked this album. Felt like a dream. Looking forward to a relisten. Or maybe nap.

I enjoyed this; I need to listen to it again.

Quality if a touch uneven. The dreaminess nicely complemented by upbeat brightness that feels a bit like waking up on the right side of the bed.

крайне приятный альбомчик

Njaaa niet top

Overall pretty dark and no standout songs. Weird cover which set the tone for the music I was listening to. While I like Indie music, this just seemed to have a unsettling undertone which made it not so much my taste.

Very middle of the road, not good, not bad, just ok background music

Pretty good. Another one to file in the 'really needs more time' category. I will be coming back for a few more (maybe many more) listens. 1 - bad 2 - average 3 - good 4 - great 5 - outstanding

I liked it. Not mindblown or anything, but that was good. Sounded like a 2010 album alright.

It's like nothing ever happens on this album. Not bad or anything. In fact, not anything at all.

Really like it, it’s match perfectly with the mood I was in. I’ll listen to it again in a near future

I have nothing to say about it.

Desire Lines is a fantastic track

I enjoyed this album. I liked the more up-tempo songs more than their slower songs, but some songs were just too long for me. There were a couple of times (Desire Lines & He Would Have Laughed) where I went, "Wait, this song's still playing?" But, the songs I did like, I liked a lot. 3/5 Favorite song: Helicopter Worst song: Basement Scene

Interesting Album with some good songs

Don't judge a book by its cover, this dream pop album isn't as dark as it seems to be. It started off a bit slow for me & it's definitely a grower. Beautifully atmospheric and there are many great song on it.

meh

Not listened before. I enjoyed it

Huske ingenting fra da

Already listened

Another unfamiliar one. I've never really known the difference between Deerhunter, Deerhoof and Deer Tick, and have probably confused one for another along the way when their names do come up, which seems to be frequently enough. I'm midway through my second listen of the evening on this one, and while I'm enjoying it a bit more than the first time it's still not doing a whole heck of a lot for me. But that seems to happen with a lot of Indie darlings for me - it's part of why I just avoided so many for so long, but I've been pushing myself to dig a little deeper and have found some gems along the way - but this one just isn't for me.

I don't understand the hype behind Deerhunter.

not my cup of tea

Not bad

i dont really care for it, a bit shoegazy alt pop not bad not outstanding either

4.0 + Bradford Cox was an indie staple in my music diet of the 10's, and this record may be his best showcase (along with his first couple of records as Atlas Sound). He's a wizard at adding white noise to create waves of color and texture, especially on tracks like "Earthquake." And I love the way he creates walls of vocal reverb. Also on here is probably my favorite Deerhunter song of all time, "Desire Lines."

I guess I’ve been missing out thus far.

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

Album woke up after two songs. I got nervous but it turned out to be a pretty solid album.

Surprisingly never heard this one - I like it - 3 stars

Chill

Overall - 5/10 Big tonal shifts and lack of consistency really killed this album for me, but in between all of that some really good instrumentals and great lyrics

Dont remember a single song

Nice enough with a couple of songs I'd listen to again but all just a bit too twinkly and light to get better than 3.

Fine to listen to, not really anything to shout about but better than I initially thought it would be

- nice, gentle background music

Cool and atmospheric intro into some heavily inspired music reminiscent of the Strokes and occasionally Arcade fire. Overall enjoyable with nice range of tempo, cool beats over decent guitar/drum work. Not blown away by anything in particular but would listen again. 3.4 Earthquake cool edgy atmospheric start Don’t cry/revival: strokesy Sailing: cool dark and stormy Memory boy: zombies? Desire Lines: arcade fire drum intro Helicopter: more upbeat cool Fountain stairs: Coronado: very strokes

Pretty decent

This is another one of those 9.2-rated, best new album Pitchfork listens that I'm always eager to listen to...and then I just don't get it. I never connected with this Deerhunter album. I thought this band was a little harder rock, but it was a little more experimental and spacey than I expected. I could probably come around on them with some prolonged listening, but it didn't happen today.

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?

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

avaappa poika albumin sivu ja kato mikä iskee silimään... genreissä indie.... yrittää tehä jotain,,, hei käytetään kalikkoja tehdään ääniä ! crazy talented guy claps blocks and makes beat... no mutta pitikö siitä albumia tehdä. insertti onko tämä tärkeä albumi kommentti tähän. noh pari ok biisiä... sillon tällöin vokaalit hittaa... ja ambientti pistää pään sekaisin.... annetaan kaksi... desire lines

idk 2

This is one of those albums that takes a little while to digest. Upon the first couple of listens it was enjoyable though

“You can’t take too long, Making up songs”— Sailing by Deerhunter They definitely didn’t.

Far away from a masterpiece but entertaining in its shoop-shoopy way of defining themselves as a retro-outfit but there are much better works by them. Still 3.4

It really is quite a good album, but that first song just starts it off on the wrong foot for me.

this was good!

aight

A fine collection of moody indie rock tunes, though nothing mind blowing

It's alright.

Nice and chill album, it was a good listen and nice ambiance overall 3 / 5

Quite a cool album.. To be honest. Musicalities and instrumentals are nice to hear. However the some vocals are really teeny in a way... It is still a good 45 minutes... Very decent 3.5/4

Gemiddelde dreampop.

zu langweilig

Yawn! I kept waiting for something interesting to happen, and it didn't. Just more chill vibes, which is fine I guess, but you can definitely skip this one. My top pick is 'Memory Boy' as it's the only track which made any impression.

Not for me

Very good for the genre, just not my favorite genre. Some nice moments though

Some of the songs are tolerable like Revival and Basement Scene. But most of the album I found actively unpleasant, especially Earthquake and Helicopter. Overall this album is one big bummer.

This did nothing for me. It felt like a bunch of demos, recorded by a guy who couldn’t afford a microphone, but that’s okay because there’s always this megaphone…

I didn't hate this. I actually kinda like a couple of tracks. Especially Fountain Stairs which kind of reminded me of Wreckless Eric Whole Wide World in a way, not as good, but kinda struck that memory chord..

Het album is één grote psychedelische waas. Er zit wel muziek in, vermomd als warm, wollig en dik reverb-deken. Maar de zanger maakt dit deken nogal jeukerig. Het oninteressante, overbeschermd opgevoegde neefje van Radiohead (ter referentie: "Helicopter" en "He Would Have Laughed") met wat huismerk John Frusciante (ter referentie: "Basement Scene"). Eerste helft van het album 2 sterren, 2e helft was iets experimenteler en zorgt voor een totaal van 3.

It's a nice blend of dream pop and indie rock that's not overly conventional yet still palatable to mainstream ears.

Very weird and dreamy atmosphere, but I really enjoyed it.

notes - indie rock with some psych and pop elements - according to singer bradford cox supposed to sound like a series of dispatches from a fantasy land - theres definitely a fantasy element to it, surreal - has a bit of a self-produced edge which keeps it from sounding polished in a good way - similar to contemporaries like grizzly bear - good length, good track list fav - helicopter - like the harp omnichord thing and the chorus least fav - earthquake - very different from the rest of the album and doesnt really set the tone didnt love it but i enjoyed it 4/5

I enjoyed a few songs but this was another one where the music was a little too dreamy. I didn't really get around to the lyrics.

In my Spotify Top 100 of 2022 I have a Deerhunter song - at song #101, if that makes any sense - "Helicopter". I listened to the LP, Helicopter does stand out, it sounds crisper with more synth than the other tracks. On my second run-through the other songs stood out more, a sign of good song-writing. I don't play guitar but a lot of the chord progressions sound pretty simple to me. At dinner my co-judge said it sounded "okay", which is a more ringing endorsement than she gives most. Between a 3 and 4 for me.

There are some nice moments on this indie dream pop record, but most of it is simply too dreamy for me. When they pick up the pace on Desire Lines and He would have laughed it improves immensely. Basement scene sounds like a blatant knock off of the Everly Brothers Dream. Helicopter is also quite ok. I still find the album cover by George Mitchell to be a bit unsettling though.

Very early-70s feel to a lot of it, interesting

Bang average

A pretty typical indie album that isn’t incredibly fascinating. Some of the album is a lot of synths and Lofi style sounds. The few songs that are a bit more mainstream are okay but still somewhat lack luster. I’m sure in circles there are people that love this album but I was not feeling it. 4.9/10

It's indie music. It didn't make my ears bleed but I may need to go to an audiologist. Not the worst album on the list but it is not really a two.

Cool!

I think this is the definition of a forgettable album. Not like it was bad or anything but there was literally nothing that stood out to me on this album. I couldnt even tell you a song and I literally just listened to it 2 minutes ago. Boringggg 3/10

Indie on kyllä harvoin mun juttu, ja nyt puhun nimenomaan indie rock ja indie pop -genreistä! Tää on toimiva, mutta ei tää oo lähellekään niin kova ku samoihin aikoihin tullu Unknown Mortal Orchestra II. Ei tässäkään siis ole vikaa mutta ei vaan puraise. 2/5

Oikein hyvä levy kivoilla soundeilla, vaikka oli tämäkin joskus kovempi juttu kuin nykyään. Mutta varmasti tulee jatkossakin silloin tällöin kuunneltua. 3,5/5.

Alkoi verrattaen tylsästi mutta oli siellä jotain kiinnostavaakin loppua kohti. 3/5

My heart sinks when I get a recent album I've not heard of and this is no exception. A baffling entry into any list of any albums. It’s ‘OK’ and no better than that

Generic yet weird. Boring yet confusing. Nothing terrible and a lot of variety, but not memorable.

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

man y'all are just curmudgeons 3 stars

Never listened to this one either, but was really bored.

No one really likes this

I enjoyed this!

Neutral milk hotel, the Beatles, arcade fire all rolled into one- not as good as any one of them on their own but a very pleasant sounding result!

Day 9. November 2nd 2022.

the first 3 or 4 tracks didn't really do it for me, but the middle third of this album is very strong. Very early 00s US indie but some great songs.

3.5 stars. Pretty decent indie. Fairly psychedelic and more poppy than rocky, but catchy at times. And a good listen. Lot's of variation in length of songs. Standouts are "Revival" and "Fountain Stairs"

guite good

Please no more bland indie

82/100: This was an absolutely, shockingly fantastic album. This album is an acid trip in the medium of music. I momentarily forgot who I was while driving down the road listening to "Helicopter." Deerhunter sounds like if you mixed Tame Impala with your local garage rock band in the best way possible. I will definitely be exploring more of their stuff, as I love their sound.

Generic indie rock, reminds me of some bands I like, but I did not like this one.

Sounds like your typical indie band. Are all indie band studios actually echoey abandoned warehouses or something? This did absolutely nothing for me.

creí que me iba a gustar menos pero estuvo bueno igual tranqui. 7 / 10

Eh, not really a big fan of this one.

This really isn't doing anything for me. Seems like a tired mashup of a dozen different styles, none of them done particularly well.

Meh.

Favourite song: Desire Lines One for the karaoke: Coronado One for the car: Memory Boy Enjoyed this. Some of the songs sounded too similar, though, which is why it’s a 3 from me.

I imagine people have sacked this list off because this was the first album they were generated and thought if this can make it why the fuck am i going to bother with the rest. It's just such a boring album for a band that describes themselves as 'ambient punk'. If this can be labelled punk then punk is dead. Fair enough if you like this stuff, but within the 1001 albums to listen to before you die? Behave.

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

An album that shifts between sleeping and sleepwalking. It’s not an offensive album to the ears, but lacks oomph. There are some songs with a bit more life at least, that help bring you back from the brink of total snoozing. That said, it could be a perfect after party album to wind down on or something you have a trip to.

This is not really my thing, but I kinda liked it for what it was, a new experience.

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

yes. this was good. i liked it 8/10

Sounded like some lofi indie beats. Got bord

Psychedelic, Ethereal, Intimate, Mellow, Subtle, Lush, Depressing, Atmospehric

No jive at all.

Not my favourite, bit of a strange vibe, couldn't really get in to all the songs but not terrible. Favourite song was Memory Boy. Very indie

Today's treat was an indie rock band Deerhunter with their 2010 album Halcyon Digest. After some initial reading about the group and their music, I was very interested and was hoping for another record like I Am A Bird Now by Antony And The Johnson, something innovative, but entertaining and solid. Instead, the album sounded like it came straight out of the manufacturing belt in an Alt-J factory. Nothing on this cd screams (or even talks loud, going by this small metaphor), that any song is great or exceptional. In the ocean of new and old indie rock bands, Deerhunter is just another fish. There was one song, which I liked - Desire Lines. It had some nice moments, especially towards the end of the song, when the music was actually sounded like some dreamy sequences. Otherwise, I can't recall anything special that happened during those 45 minutes. I am disappointed by this album and I will gladly forget anything about this over the next few days.

I've never listened to Deerhunter but have been aware of them for awhile. Album was solid but kind of felt like a watered down version of other bands I already listen to. I might give another Deerhunter album a try in the future but nothing here grabbed me that strongly.

Halcyon Digest is alright objectively, just not my thing. Too indie, too stripped back and soft, admittedly has a nice resonance in places but not enough for me to give it more than a 2/5. Helicopter is charming though.

Knew the name, didn't know the album or indeed any of the songs on it. Totally up my street, really liked this. Really good background music for working, beautifully atmospheric, but I did also listen to it with much more attention whilst I was having my lunch and it's got a lot more to give. Not an album with many real individual standout tracks, but the overall sound is one that I really like, will listen to this much more regularly and seek out their other stuff.

Finally, some good music

This sounds like someone making music as art rather than as music. It took until the 5th track before a song resembled music that wasn’t nonsense. The better songs here are Memory Boy, Desire Lines, and Fountain Stairs. The heavy reliance on reverb, echo, and feedback give all the tracks a space, unreal quality that perhaps is supposed to sound like dreaming or something. I don’t know. It also sounds like the songwriter typically grabbed the first three or four note hook he landed on that day and just made that the song for five minutes. There doesn’t seem to be any structure applied to the tracks. I read that this album and the band was given high ratings by critics. I wonder why. I wonder why I should care what critics like if junk like this is considered art.

Throughly enjoyed it

Nice.

Très bon album, assez atmosphérique. La vibe est bonne, et une autre belle découverte!

Really like the cinematic feel of this. Could grow to love it.

Not bad but could have gone my whole life without listening to it.

Hum drum indie guitar music. Nothing special at all. A bit low key.

Dreamy

Prefs: Earthquake, Don't Cry, Revival, Memory Boy, Desire Lines, Helicopter, Coronado, He Would Have Laughed Moins pref: Sailing

Somewhat of a concept album. Listened on the day the Queen died. Probably needed to give the lyrics more attention. Not a great listen but He Would Have Laughed is a fantastic discovery. Very moody.

Pretty okay alt indie fare

As with most of these albums, it is okay. Like I said early on, I tend to stay in certain boxes, certain genres and it is hard for me to sometimes think outside of the box.

It was nice in a Mogwai/better end of Sonic Youth way. Melancholic, hazy sound walls with sighed vocals. I feel like, with some time invested I could grow to really like this record, it's certainly my kind of thing.