I never really thought in any measure that I’d be writing at any point in time a review of a Deafheaven record, yet here we are. Even now I remember the absolute furor that bundled virally around their 2013 release, Sunbather. I didn’t really understand then, nor do I understand now why was it so huge. Personally, I couldn’t then and still can’t stomach today that record, but that’s a different story. I was reluctant of giving Infinite Granite a shot at first. Eventually I heard talks about it being uncharacteristic and charming compared to the rest of the band’s opus. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to listen to the first single, I think it was the 3rd track, “Great Mass of Color”. My interest was instantly piqued.
Upon finally listening for the first time to the album in full about three weeks ago, I was stunned. I think that this is one of the most striking shifts in musical direction I’ve heard a band do too. It’s also one of the few such shifts I’ve met where a band I previously did not care about turned into something I’m keeping on heavy rotation in my playlist. A very pleasant surprise to say the least.
While I saw Deafheaven in the past as some kind of oddball amalgamation of blast-beat driven black metal slathered generously with an almost noisy tapestry of reverb and delay drenched shoegaze styled washes with a vocal delivery that was simply unintelligible, now things couldn’t be any more different. Infinite Granite is basically a shoegaze record that embraces equally dream pop leanings as well as post-rock ones. I think it’s a lovely combination and it’s executed so naturally that it feels like they’ve been doing this recipe for several albums.
I really don’t understand how such a dramatic shift could occur so seemingly naturally and organically, looking strictly at the tunes. It’s quite impressive and so are the contents of Infinite Granite. The record does however remind us that the past isn’t dead. The endings of “Other Language” and “Mombasa” reprise some of their established sonic hallmark, albeit more in the tune of the current album. I wasn’t in any way thrilled, but they do manage to pack some punch throughout the coda, making the ending more impactful, which I simply can’t fault in any way – in spite of my preferences.
Infinite Granite, due to its stylistic leanings, catchy delivery, and not only, flows quite easily from top to bottom. While song structures adhere generally speaking more to what would be characteristic of a dream pop record, they do veer as well towards post rock and shoegaze. The stylistic mix is executed very well, as in it feels like we get a little bit of everything in equal measure. It seems that balance is key here. The songs also manage to stay engaging in spite of their easy going composition via the magic of crescendos and epic segments, albeit when these are compared to previous material, are quite less bombastic.
I was particularly enchanted with the endings of “Shellstar”, “Lament for Wasps”, and “The Gnashing” respectively - which feel like the absolute highlights of the record. If you ask me, the whole record could’ve been just reiterations of these moments and I would’ve called it a resounding success without a shred of doubt. The space like vibe and massive atmosphere are things which kick me right in the soft spots.
I think it would go without saying that the production value articulates all the ideas and the moments with an immaculate sense of good taste. There’s nothing to nitpick about on that end. I also think that somehow the record manages to stay lean and to the point, without any parts feeling like filler or anything of the sort.
I really hope the band continue on this musical avenue for the foreseeable future. To me it feels like they’re doing a much better job in this area and quite frankly, I feel like Infinite Granite is one of the best albums of this year too. I wholeheartedly recommend this record to anyone looking to just drift and dream effortlessly – it’s as simple as that.
