Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity

Later on, in the sparkly white jumpsuit days, Elvis would reach a peak moment when the music moved him so deeply, lifted him to such great heights, that there was only one thing to do: the Inverted Claw. When music makes you do that, it's a truly awesome feeling. The Inverted Claw is what Deerhoof is all about. Their exultant music draws you into the moment, and there you rejoice. On the transcendent Friend Opportunity, the music constantly surprises: songs like "Perfect Me" have three or four sections of heart-stopping epiphanies of the sublime; "Matchbook Seeks Maniac" pulls a "99 Luftballoons" breakdown move in the middle, rocks a Brahms interval in the pop-narcotic chorus, and the Beach Boys and the Who are all over the mix — it's one of the most glorious things you’ll ever hear. On previous albums, one of Deerhoof's main weapons was negative space—the stunning silences between beats and chords hit harder than any clang and clash of guitars and cymbals. Deerhoof were like painters who'd leave bare patches of canvas to highlight their strokes; now they're inclined to fill in every square inch, inviting us to revel in every brilliant corner. And songs like "Perfect Me," "Believe in E.S.P." and "Choco Fight" are vastly more groove-oriented—and yeah, sexy—than anything they've ever done. It's all integrated into juxtapositions that ought to be jarring but just come out astonishing.