Dan Deacon
Gliss Riffer
Distributed by Domino Records
Let me tell you a little story about my relationship with Dan Deacon. I was riding a bus from Rome to Naples on a week-long trip to Italy, staring out the window. Watching the gorgeous Italian landscape roll by, I decided nothing would suit the scene better than the 2012 Dan Deacon release, America. It was an incredible, life affirming moment for me. I felt an overwhelming sense of presence as the bizarrely beautiful music combined with the landscape passing by.
It’s the kind of situation Dan Deacon’s music is designed for: the grandiose. Dan Deacon makes what can be described as unusual electronic dance music. I say unusual because there really isn’t much out there that sounds like what Dan Deacon produces.
America is arguably Deacon’s most ambitious work to date, which saw him move towards a more grand and progressive scale to what he had been producing prior. His latest release, Gliss Riffer, seems at first to be closer to his pre-America releases, featuring more accessible and pop-oriented compositions when compared to the more orchestrated and progressive nature of America. However, Gliss Riffer is a record that takes time to grow on you.
This is another densely layered group of songs, rising and falling with new sounds jumping in and out which, in theory, should not add to the music the way they do in these songs. Deacon creates heavy, energetic music that can arguably be described as bombastic by some, but those who take the time to connect with it are left with some truly beautiful, at times overwhelming, music to get lost in.
Deacon sets the tone of the album right away with the outstanding opener, Feel the Lightning, which kicks off with his characteristically staggering synths combined with heavily warped lyrics. It’s the kind of song I love as an opener to a Dan Deacon album because within the first five seconds, you know what you’re getting yourself into.
Deacon has a special talent for creating these tremendous songs that feel equally outlandish and personal, with energetic, danceable beats combined with introspective lyrics. It’s a unique blend, which in truth isn’t for everyone. There is a common criticism of Deacon’s music that it can just be too much at times, which is perfectly valid. These are some intense songs that deal with serious themes, all the while wrapped in heavy, cluttered soundscapes created from numerous instruments and programs. This album won’t convince his detractors, but I’m certain any Dan Deacon fan will love it.
Gliss Riffer continues Dan Deacon’s trend of making music that celebrates what it means to “feel.” These songs are all individual celebrations of everything it means to be human. The experience of listening to an album like this is one that can’t be replicated by many other medium, because Deacon captures something that few others have. I seriously believe Dan Deacon is aware of the introspective 20-year-old in all of us, staring out the window and looking for the perfect collection of songs to amplify how it truly feels being a part of this world we live in.
