Dan Deacon
America
(Domino Recording Co.)

With only a few months left before the presidential election, sonic architect Dan Deacon is releasing his new album, America, which isn’t focused on politics exactly, but is instead an optimistic musical exploration of the country in which we live. The album is divided into two parts with the first half consisting of pop songs along the lines of what one might expect and the final four tracks, entitled “USA…,” that contain over 20 minutes of music, are more akin to soundscapes that attempt to musically describe our geography.

To say that Deacon’s new album is quite a bit mellower than his previous effort might seem strange because his trademark sonic onslaught is still present, but the songs this time around are quite a bit more melodic with a pronounced cinematic feeling.  His sound is again percussive but it’s more orderly chaos than in the past, occasionally drifting into something of a shoegazey, Brian Eno-like territory.

The highlights include “Lots,” which has a great live energy feel, and the bright, wide-scoping “True Thrush,” for which Deacon created a fun video, which is a visual version of the game Telephone. But it’s “USA IV: Manifest” that might be the most innovative music Deacon has put out, which is saying something for such an innovative musician.