The best way to describe Deerhunter’s new album, “Fading Frontier,” is mellow, daring psychedelia. The randomness of the sounds push the album into utter cacophony, especially in “Leather and Wood” and “Ad Astra,” but the bizarre instrumentation comes off as meticulously random and planned out from start to finish. Nothing about this album makes sense or should work together, but the combination of the many different styles meld together perfectly. The album is entirely unique, and more importantly, it’s executed extremely well.

“Living My Life” is the vocal magnum opus of the album, showcasing the light, delicate stylings of Bradford Cox. It’s offset by pulsating synthetic bass lines and popping percussion accents. It wavers between this techno introduction, but incorporates acoustic elements as the song progresses – only to strip the latter during instrumental breaks. The non-conventional sounds used to anchor the song certainly shine through and bring the song to greatness, but more than anything, they serve as a palksjdhfa sdfaerfectly accompaniment to the mantra-like lyrics.

The album is a healthy balance between the heavy, acoustic-styled rock that Wilco is known for and classically 80s motifs. “Duplex Planet” is this

purest display of this fuse. Clocking in under three minutes, the short ditty is filled with a constantly quickening guitar background, incorporating a quick “tick-tock” organ-esque synth line throughout the shorter instrumental breaks. The piano punctuating at the end is matched by faint, choir-like back-up vocals that develop the song into a mellows

w instrumental jam by the time it closes.

RIYL: Mac DeMarco, Wilco, LCD Soundsystem

Rating: W-P-G-1/2

Key Tracks: “Living My Life,” “Breaker,