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Here are nine really communicative almost-pop songs, subdued but no less ambitious follow-ups to similar tendencies on 2005’s The Runners Four.
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Friend Opportunity is adventurous and strange, but not insular. It lets everyone share the triumphant feeling of a puzzle reaching completion.
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Though by no means as manic as previous Deerhoof long-players, this is a intriguing record which stands up next to the bewildering excellence of Runners Four.
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Deerhoof, an indie band who have released plenty of discombobulated pop and no wave albums, have lately turned toward accessible, foot-stomping rock. It worked on The Runners Four, but it works better and quicker on their new album, Friend Opportunity.
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UrbDeerhoof reveal new shades of interest that beckon future transformations. [Jan/Feb 2006, p.78]
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As good as The Runners Four was, Friend Opportunity just might be even better.
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Longtime fans might lament the loss of a second guitar and the balls-out thrashing that sometimes came with it, but on certain levels it may be a blessing in disguise. A leaner Deerhoof allows other facets of the band to shine, most notably Greg Saunier's drum work.
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Deerhoof may be more serious this time around, but the music’s still very imaginative and fun.
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Alternative PressDeerhoof's 13 years of experience have honed their sound to near perfection and is pleasing even to the most critical of ears. [Mar 2007, p.136]
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"Friend Opportunity" is arguably Deerhoof's finest album so far, and it ensures the band remains among contemporary pop's most fascinating and forward-thinking artists.
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Most of Friend Opportunity... sounds like a pure expression of musical joy.
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MojoThe overall effect is a bit off-key, ill-defined and generally incomprehensible yet warm and attractive. [Mar 2007, p.100]
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It should be maddening, but the trio understand that if you're going to write songs that sound like four songs spliced together, all the constituent parts must be equally enticing.
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Q MagazineStartlingly original. [Apr 2007, p.117]
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Now every track is an intensely creative pop gem, like those brilliant pockets scattered throughout previous releases, refined and condensed.
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This doesn’t seem so much a pop internalization of Deerhoof’s unique talent as it is a kind of album-costume where they adorn the talents of other bands.
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This is probably Deerhoof’s cutest, most digestible, and instantly appealing album.
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The New York TimesGone are most of the scratching, scrunching noises that previously signified a low budget, and now there are crisp multitracked vocals. But the band hasn’t gotten any less imaginative. [14 Jan 2007]
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Under The RadarIt seems that the band have finally found an idyllic balance. [#16, p.91]
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All in all, the effort has more space, less atmosphere and gets right to the point.
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SpinDeerhoof's... most ambitious record, but it's also their most familiar. [Feb 2007, p.85]
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Unfathomable brilliance from start to finish.
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Is it possible to have too many ideas? Quite possibly. Deerhoof is the sound of imagination overdrive.
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[It] doesn't pack the out-of-nowhere melodic turns that enlivened Runners.
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The majority of Friend Opportunity fails to surprise. While it’s an easily listenable disc not without its share of good and engaging tunes, for a band who have made some of the best and most confounding pop music of the last decade, it’s a bit of a letdown.
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BlenderAt worst, Matsuzaki's delviery can make this manic style-juggling sound irritating where it might otherwise be captivating. [Mar 2007, p.134]
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UncutClearly, appealing quirks can easily become irksome affectations. [Apr 2007, p.94]
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Their calmest album to date.
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These are "rock songs" in Ned Rorem's dreams -- they're as ornate as a high-class geisha house.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 25 out of 32
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Mixed: 7 out of 32
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Negative: 0 out of 32
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UriSFeb 21, 2007
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JustinSApr 27, 2007
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DamianMMar 22, 2007