25 January 2007

8+

"Look Away" by Deerhoof which clocks in at 11:45

Note to self: after dodging many opportunities to listen to advance copies of Friend Opportunity, don't forget the feeling from yesterday when you first heard the album in its entirety. As of this moment you think it's going to be one of the best albums of the year. January releases often fade into the forgotten realm come list season but this record will surely deserve at least top ten status after all of 2007 is heard and done, no? Let's revisit in December and see what's what. For now, let's talk about this one song.

To examine Deerhoof's song "Look Away" I'd like to take a look at what others are saying about it and then offer you a chance to tell us your own opinion on the song. Yeah?

  • Tiny Mix Tapes notes "the disheveled mid-section of the shambling 12-minute closer"
  • PopMatters says the song has "a horror show for a middle section in which everything collides"
  • Prefix calls it a "clusterfuck"
  • Pitchfork says "it's just an appendix"
  • Allmusic calls it "an 11-minute suite-like piece"
  • CokemachineGlow says that "Look Away" "almost redeems what minor faults I find with the rest of the album"
  • Stylus calls the song a "seemingly aimless atonal dirge"
My own opinion tends more towards that of Allmusic in that I find "Look Away" to be rather symphonic. Almost an overture/symphonic poem of sorts. There is, however, no denying where the track lands on the album. Perhaps that this song is the final song on Friend Opportunity, coupled with the title of the song, means that the band is telling us listeners not to bother. Or maybe it's the best 11.75 minutes of music so far released in 2007.

"Look Away", yes or no?

Buy Friend Opportunity HERE on Amazon.

EAR FARM's 8+ is a weekly feature that showcases songs longer than 8 minutes. In the recent past these songs were featured on EF's 8+:
Tan Dun - "Symphony 1997: II. Earth (Yi3)"
Jane's Addiction - "Three Days"
Joanna Newsom - "Monkey & Bear"
Depeche Mode - "Never Let Me Down Again" (Split Mix)
This Mortal Coil - "Dreams Are Like Water"
The Church - “Chaos"
Alex Skolnick Trio - “War Pigs"
Arlo Guthrie - “Alice's Restaurant Massacre"

To see a full list of every song featured in EAR FARM's 8+ click HERE.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

NO. this band sucks. the song sucks. it sounds like a goose dying. why do so many people like them? thankfully i got the cd for free.

Anonymous said...

As 12 minute long songs released in this passed week go I'll take "The Past Is A Grotesque Animal" by Of Montreal

Anonymous said...

dude, get off the dro matt. for reelz.

Anonymous said...

While I haven't heard THIS Deerhoof song yet, I can say that they are a totally righteous band. So I don't think there's necessarily any dro involved.

Anonymous said...

Well, I for one really like Look Away. As a matter of fact I like the whole album. You can read my review here.

Anonymous said...

when i played this album in the store yesterday this song pissed off most of my coworkers. it didn't piss me off, but i'm not crazy about it. i like deerhoof when they channel zeppelin and play crazy awesome 4 minute jams.

Anonymous said...

well sir i didn't care for it the first time i heard it as the rest of the album is so glaringly accessible in comparison. then i was trying to park my sonbitch van last night and got all kinds of tranquilo just sitting in a freezing autocarriage waiting for the heat to come on and trying to make sense of it. compelling story i know...moral is, i'll take it. now make busdriver go away as the opener tomorrow please

Anonymous said...

Deer Hoof Is a mockery of everything i know and love, specifically art and music. Listen to some real punk music, this music is equivalent to and is about engaging as a non-existing unicorn shit. I understand this music is complicated in your eyes, but to me the lame-man or the person that just doesn't "get it" this music simply sucks balls, as does deer hoof; champion of "oh it's funny" and "cute" and theres a japanese girl witch makes it more palletable to the coffee shop going, bukowski reading, "people just don't get life like I do" artist. I know I am being an asshole and so are you and this is how the world works!

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