The last time rock-crit darlings Deerhunter played Athens, in November 2013, it was in support of that year’s terrific LP, the revved-up proto-scuzz statement piece Monomania. The 40 Watt show was all bliss and bruises, as finely executed a concert as Athens had seen in months. The Atlanta band—led by songwriter Bradford Cox and featuring local multi-instrumentalist Josh McKay on bass—is back in town to plug its latest effort, 2015’s Fading Frontier. The record’s clear-headed sound and playful sense of melody are antithetical to its predecessor’s brutish power; on tunes like the sleaze-funk workout “Snakeskin,” the once-inscrutable Cox’s songwriting has matured nearly beyond recognition.
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