Deerhoof : Green Cosmos

Initially released only in Japan and later in the U.S. via Menlo Park, Deerhoof's Green Cosmos EP shows off a less manic side of the band than their usual modus operandi. The bright, brassy rocker 'Come See the Duck' (based on the way the song sounds, the duck must be fire-breathing and six feet tall) is the closest the EP gets to Deerhoof's quintessential approach; even though Green Cosmos is only seven songs long, the band spends the rest of the EP trying on as many different sounds and feelings as they can cram into it. The production is surprisingly lush, with songs like the jazzy 'Hot Mint Air Balloon' boasting brass and xylophones and 'Spiral Golden Town' moving from trippy symphonic samples to an odd -- but totally Deerhoof -- fusion of chamber-pop, synth-pop and big-beat. Elsewhere, the band goes gentle: 'Malalauma' is delicately psychedelic, with an appropriately Asian feel, while Satomi Matsuzaki's meowed vocals on 'Koneko Kitten' make the track that much more adorable. Since Green Cosmos is so short, its eclectic sound doesn't stick around long enough to feel scattered. Instead, it just reaffirms Deerhoof's unspoken manifesto -- that music should be fun -- and offers a nice, bite-size portion of their crazy sweetness. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi