Ordinary Corrupt Human Love – Deafheaven, 2018
Deafheaven takes a softer approach on their fourth album, Ordinary Corrupt Human Love. The band is able to evolve musically while retaining a sound and style that is distinctly theirs.
The album starts off with sparkling guitar, soft piano, and even a spoken word passage on the track, You Without End. This does a great job at setting the tone for the record and begins to establish the softer aesthetic they are hoping to achieve. The track grasped my attention immediately and although the middle section of the song began to feel a bit bland it is still something I find myself going back to even though I may not listen to the track in its entirety. The next track, Honeycomb, showcases Deafheaven’s technical prowess and is a microcosm of the feeling I get from the entire album. Anguish, despair, and eventually acceptance are feelings that this track evokes. The latter half is some of my favorite work on the album and is essential listening. Immediately after this eleven minute monster, Deafheaven throws us another journey of a song with Canary Yellow. This song starts right where Honeycomb leaves off. You can hear a subdued gospel chorus of “ahhhhhhhs” buried in the song that gives it a sort of spiritual and romantic feel. Canary Yellow has another incredibly strong start, similar to You Without End. This track contains the brightest and most ‘hopeful’ sound Deafheaven has ever produced and is just beautiful. The beginning of the song is what I picture to be Deafheaven’s take at what should be played when you walk down the aisle of your wedding. Of course the song transitions back to the dark and dreary because it wouldn’t be a Deafheaven song without it. Love gives us our highest highs and our lowest lows, Ordinary Corrupt Human Love showcases that through the music.
A much needed reprieve from the back to back, emotive journeys that are Honeycomb and Canary Yellow are found next on the track Near. Soft, easy listening here. A simple track without too much going on. Akin to Irresistible, an interlude from their album, Sunbather. A lot of reverb and a watery, tremolo-picked guitar make for a pleasant experience though I do think it could have been a shorter track. Glint comes next. It gave me an impression similar to You Without End in that, initially it really impressed me, but after a couple listens the effect dissipated quickly. Catchy melodies and riffs toward the latter half make it a good listen though. Night People, the sixth track is the most different sounding and experimental I’ve heard from the group. It features Chelsea Wolfe, a gothic rock, darkwave singer / songwriter and brings a refreshing change of pace to the album. Lead vocalist, George Clarke actually sings on this track! No not screams, sings. The duet between the two has a depressive, but beautiful feel that I’ve come to appreciate. The last track, Worthless Animal, is the most ‘meh’ track on the album. There isn’t anything I hate about it nor is there anything I love. It’s long and it’s just okay in my opinion. Deafheaven usually closes their records powerfully with songs like The Pecan Tree and Gifts For The Earth, but this track didn’t do much for me.
I know I didn’t touch on lyrics at all and that’s because lyrics are usually not important to me. Especially for a band like Deafheaven where ninety percent of the lyrics are shrieked. For my lyric lovers out there, I’m sure there is plenty to unpack and digest. One more note, Dan Tracy, the drummer is absolutely fantastic. He nails every single track. Most of the album is captivating and emotional and Deafheaven really expands their musical palette. The main gripes I have with it are some of the melodies can be a bit boring and the indie-er side can seem cliche at times. I’ll come back to this album for fantastic moments like the back half of Honeycomb and the overall aggressive and dreamy atmosphere. Great album. 8/10
Key Tracks: You Without End, Honeycomb, Canary Yellow
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