''Microcastle'' is the third album by
Deerhunter. After the album had been leaked on the internet, it became available on
iTunes on August 19, 2008, while physical copies were released on October 27, 2008. In the U.S. the album was released on
Kranky and on
4AD
4AD is a British record label owned by Beggars Group. It was founded in London under the name "Axis" (after the Hendrix album) by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent in 1980 as an imprint of Beggars Banquet Records. The name was changed to 4AD a ...
in Europe. The album was recorded over the course of one week in April 2008 by
Nicolas Vernhes at Rare Book Room Studios in Brooklyn, NY.
In the U.S., the album has managed to sell over 50,000 units.
Unlike ''
Cryptograms
A cryptogram is a type of puzzle that consists of a short piece of encrypted text. Generally the cipher used to encrypt the text is simple enough that the cryptogram can be solved by hand. Substitution ciphers where each letter is replaced by ...
'', the band decided to forgo heavy utilization of effects pedals. Throughout the recording of the record, only a number of drum tracks and the vocals on "Agoraphobia" were treated. Of the musical direction of the new material, Bradford Cox has said "I'm more interested in the micro-structure. I want things to be a lot shorter, I don't want there to be as much long-windedness to it." The band premiered the album live at Brooklyn's Market Hotel on April 11, 2008. A bonus disc, ''
Weird Era Cont.'', was released concurrently with the album.
"Saved By Old Times" features an appearance by Cole Alexander of the
Black Lips
Black Lips is an American garage rock band from Atlanta, Georgia formed in 1999.
History
The band formed in Dunwoody, Georgia after guitarist Cole Alexander and bassist Jared Swilley left the Renegades, and guitarist Ben Eberbaugh left the Rer ...
. His appearance was recorded over an
iChat
iChat (previously iChat AV) is a discontinued instant messaging software application developed by Apple Inc. for use on its Mac OS X operating system. It supported instant text messaging over XMPP/Jingle or OSCAR ( AIM) protocol, audio and vid ...
session.
Vinyl versions
The original pressing of the vinyl on Kranky was one white vinyl LP, had a single panel jacket with different artwork than the CD (see alternate artwork), and came with ''
Weird Era Cont.'' on CD in its own paper sleeve. Since the album has gained popularity, there has been another pressing, with both parts of the album being pressed on black vinyl in a gatefold jacket with the orange artwork originally used for the CD.
Reception
''Microcastle'' has been met with much acclaim since its release, currently holding an 81 rating on
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, from a weighted average of 35 professional critics, indicating "Universal Acclaim".
Both
Tiny Mix Tapes
''Tiny Mix Tapes'' (also ''TMT'' or ''tinymixtapes'') is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, ...
and
Sputnikmusic awarded the album with a perfect score. ''
Spin'',
''
Billboard'', ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' and ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''
all gave the album an 8/10.
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
rewarded the album a 3.5 score, and RS contributor, Daniel Kreps listed ''Microcastle''/''Weird Era Cont.'' as his favorite album of 2008. ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
'' also rated the album highly, naming the album 50th best record of the decade and 5th best of the year, along with awarding it with a 9.2 upon initial review.
''Pitchfork'' also named “Nothing Ever Happened” the 6th best song of the year and 81st best song of the decade.
Hype Machine rated the album as 11th best of the year.
Top 50 Albums of 2008 / The Hype Machine
Hypem.com. Retrieved on 2010-09-29.
Track listing
* Tracks 6–8 are part of a suite
Personnel
;Deerhunter
*Moses Archuleta
Moses Archuleta is an American drummer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the drummer, occasional keyboardist and co-founder of the indie rock band Deerhunter, with whom he has recorded seven studio albums.
Archuleta also records so ...
– drums
* Bradford J. Cox – guitar, keyboards, vocals
* Joshua Fauver – bass
*Lockett Pundt
Lockett James Pundt IV (born October 7, 1982) is an American musician, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist of Atlanta-based indie rock group Deerhunter. Pundt joined Deerhunter in 2005 as a guitarist. He releases solo material under the name Lot ...
– guitar, vocals on "Agoraphobia" & "Neither of Us, Uncertainly"
;Additional musicians
*Cole Alexander – vocal montage on "Saved By Old Times"
Chart positions
References
External links
Video of the group discussing and recording the album
{{Authority control
2008 albums
Deerhunter albums
Kranky albums
4AD albums