Review by Sarah Negron

Grade: A

The Atlanta indie rock band has released their 7th studio album, Fading Frontier, and compared to Deerhunter’s earlier work, this album is calm and could perhaps be the beginning of a new phase for the band.

After Bradford Cox’s devastating car accident in 2014, the band is back with a different sound that connects tracks from this album, to songs from their past. Cox has spent the last year recovering and working on this album. So, he created the message to listeners that things can always be worse and that moving forward is for the best.

The opening track, “All The Same,” tells the interesting tale of a young man who goes through a sex change. This song can be tied back to the bands 2007 EP, Fluorescent Grey. If you listen to “Fluorescent Grey” and then “All The Same,” you’ll notice how the group has taken the beat and made it something new for a 2015 hit. The use of intertwined guitars and melodic sounds that they’ve put together really make the first song one to remember.

After listening to their earlier work, there really is a shift in direction for the group. This album is more relaxed and smoother to listen to. Reminiscent of groups like Beach House or Film School, they definitely took a calmer approach for the songs.

The dreamy sounds combined with old time sounding vocals really make this band original. This album is definetley a high point for the band and it really seems like they have their shit together considering the year they’ve endured. An album with catchy songs and a message of perseverance with a dash or mortality is all the reason you should give this album a listen today.