The group began with the ambition of fusing the lulling hypnotic states induced by ambient and minimalist music with the klang and propulsion of garage rock. The band has weathered chaotic line-up changes and the death of a member.
Cryptograms was the second full-length offering from Deerhunter, and their first for Kranky. The album took almost two years to finish and was the product of emotional, physical, and financial strain on the group. The result is an album that finds the band shifting from discordant catharsis, and forming a sonic identity that completely expresses the place from which they have arrived. The first half of the album was recorded first unsuccessfully in 2005. These recordings were a blur at best, wordless and bordering on psychological atrophy. The sessions failed to provide anything tangible, and were racked with technical and personal problems, including out-of-tune pianos, panic attacks, and a tape machine that seemed to fail to capture the full spectrum of ambience the band was exploring.
The band returned home, having failed, and considered giving up. The idea arose to give it one last shot and exactly one year from the date of the recording of their first self-titled LP at a small studio in rural Georgia, they returned to that same studio and plugged in. The session resulted in the first half of the record which was recorded in one day and completely filled the reel of tape they brought with them. Cryptograms’ first side begins with an introduction leading to the title track, and ends with the tape literally spinning off the end of the reel in the middle of a drone layered with bells and accordion (Red Ink). The second half of the record, also recorded in one day, in November of 2005, represents the band in an entirely different state. Spring Hall Convert opens with the line, “…so I woke up…” and introduces a set of focused psych-pop songs fixating on adolescence, illness, and failing connections.
On May 8, 2007, the group released the Fluorescent Grey EP, which was recorded in July 2006. This EP also garnered the title of "Best New Music" from Pitchfork Media. In the same month, the band released the Whirlyball 7" single, which was available at only one store in Atlanta, Georgia: Criminal Records. The single also acted as a ticket to a show, which featured the band along with The Carbonas, Selmanaires and The Coathangers. The single was available online for a limited time after the show due to popular demand, but only 200 copies were pressed, with 100 on black vinyl and 100 on clear vinyl.
The quartet's third album, Microcastle, came out in October of 2008 after being leaked accidentally in May. The physical release was accompanied by an album entitled Weird Era Cont.. They were both well-received, scoring a 9.2 and "best new music" on Pitchfork and taking the #1 slot for Tiny Mix Tapes' annual favorite albums list for 2008.
The band added guitarist Whitney Petty, a former sailor and high school friend of Cox's, to replace the departing Colin Mee in May 2008. She in turn left the band in February 2009.
The band followed up the critically acclaimed Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. set in May 2009 with an EP - Rainwater Cassette Exchange.
In September 2010, Deerhunter released Halcyon Digest on the label 4AD. The album received broad critical acclaim, including being rated #20 on the NME "50 Best Albums of 2010." Deerhunter made their US broadcast television debut on Conan, December 2, 2010, where they performed Helicopter.
Deerhunter released their sixth album, Monomania, in May 2013. It was their first album without bassist Josh Fauver, with Frankie Broyles and Josh McKay being added to the group. The Black Lips described the album as the "most punk album of the last 30 years."
On December 4, 2014, frontman Bradford Cox was seriously injured and hospitalized after being hit by a car in Atlanta. He has since described the incident as a “perspective-giving jolt” and cites the accident as a turning point for him in life. Deerhunter's seventh album, Fading Frontier, was released in October 2015. This was Cox's first musical output since the accident. The album also saw the departure of guitarist Frankie Broyles, who left the band to focus on his solo career.
In 2018, multi-instrumentalist Javier Morales was added as a permanent member, and the band embarked on a series of tour dates in the USA and Europe. Sold on this tour was a limited cassette-only release, Double Dream of Spring, comprised mainly of instrumental and experimental pieces. The band's eighth studio album, Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?, followed in January 2019. Later in the year, a "12-minute opus" titled Timebends was released to streaming services as a one-off single. Partially improvised and laden with Cox's signature stream-of-consciousness lyricism, the track was "recorded live direct to tape and in one take with minimal overdubs and mastered using a completely analogue signal chain."
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Revival
Deerhunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And oh, would you believe it?
All of the day
I felt his presence near me
I know they won't believe me, but
I've got favorite memories
I am saved, I am saved
And, oh, could you believe it?
You won't regret if you choose to believe it
Freedom, silence, always
All this darkness, always
Always
Oh, oh
Darkness, always, they don't make no sense
Darkness, always
Away from me darlin'
The lyrics of Deerhunter's song 'Revival' appear to be about the singer's experience of being saved and feeling the presence of a higher power near them. It seems that the singer is aware that others may not understand or accept their beliefs, but they have a personal connection with the divine that brings them comfort and favorite memories. The chorus urges listeners to believe and promises freedom and silence in exchange.
The repetition of 'always' and 'darkness' throughout the song could be interpreted in different ways, but it seems to depict a struggle with negative thoughts or feelings that may be alleviated by faith. The final line, 'Away from me darlin'', could be a rejection of something or someone who represents darkness in the singer's life. Overall, the lyrics suggest a personal, emotional journey towards salvation and the hope it brings.
Line by Line Meaning
I am saved, I am saved
The singer declares that they have been saved.
And oh, would you believe it?
The singer expresses surprise at their own salvation.
All of the day
The entirety of the day is being referred to.
I felt his presence near me
The artist sensed the presence of a divine being near them.
I know they won't believe me, but
The artist recognizes that others may doubt their claims about their spiritual experience.
I've got favorite memories
The singer has specific memories that hold personal significance.
And, oh, could you believe it?
The singer asks if the listener could believe in their own salvation.
You won't regret if you choose to believe it
The artist is encouraging the listener to embrace their own belief in divinity.
Freedom, silence, always
The artist experiences a sense of freedom and silence that is constant.
All this darkness, always
The artist also recognizes the presence of darkness in their life that is always present.
Always
The word 'always' is repeated to emphasize the constant nature of the two opposing feelings of freedom and darkness.
Darkness, always, they don't make no sense
The artist questions the purpose of the constant darkness.
Darkness, always
The repetition of the phrase emphasizes the weight that the constant darkness has on the singer.
Away from me darlin'
The singer wants the darkness to leave them permanently.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: BRADFORD COX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind