Deerhoof

Offend Maggie continues in the Deerhoof tradition, combining the sophistication of jazz with lead singer Satomi Matsuzaki’s eerily optimistic melodies. Oh yeah, and the lyrics are sung primarily in Japanese. The album’s first track, “The Tears and Music of Love,” has a dark, expressive, and awe-inspiring guitar-and-drum intro. Then Matsuzaki’s vocals waft into the mix, sounding more like an Asian songbird than a San Francisco indie rocker. Even though they often spar, instruments and vocals fit together flawlessly on “Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back”-one of the only songs sung almost entirely in English. “My Purple Past” combines big, distorted instrumentation with open melody sections and climaxes (a highlight of the album) that bring the whole thing together. In the end, it’s another success for Deerhoof, who’ve mastered the art of being talented, interesting, and undeniably different.