Bromst

Rating: Dig It
Recommended for fans of Animal Collective and M83.

From first glance, Dan Deacon is an unlikely star. Everything about him — from his childish face to his oversized glasses and gleeful nature — seems to contradict what is expected of popular musicians. Yet, despite this unlikelihood, he is a rising star. A member of Baltimore’s Wham City, a collective of experimental artists and musicians, Deacon first gained recognition in 2007 for his album Spiderman of the Rings.

His latest release, Bromst, is a tour de force packed with songs almost as bizarre as their creator. The album begins with “Build Voice,” which sets the tone appropriately. Electronics whirr, beep and chirp as a vocal chant crescendos gloriously overtop the chaos. By the end of the song, most listeners will already have formed an opinion of Dan Deacon and his music.

Deacon’s style tends to be polarizing. Many of the songs seem to recall childhood with its endless summers and Saturday morning cartoons, accompanied by sped up vocals reminiscent of Alvin and the Chipmunks, a highly upbeat mood, and an impressive array of cheap electronics.

Yet the conservatory-trained Deacon is not a hack, nor is he merely lucky. Musically, Bromst is a superb album that seems to top even Spiderman of the Rings. Rather than recycling his old formula, there is a complexity and maturity found here that was lacking on his previous records. The presence of acoustic instruments, mainly mallet percussion, various brass instruments, and a souped-up player piano (which had to be rewired to keep up with Deacon’s tricky compositions), only adds to the overall sonic texture and bizarre nature of the music. Some of the highlights include the frantic “Red A,” the tribal thundering of “Of the Mountains,” the frantic xylophone breaks of “Baltihorse,” and the comparatively restrained and contemplative “Surprise Stefani.”

For those that understand it, Bromst is an incredibly rich and versatile album, ripe with childhood nostalgia. As Deacon’s albums slowly become more accessible and mature, the likelihood of him finally breaking through to a wider audience grows. In the meantime, however, Deacon remains one of music’s best kept secrets.