La Isla Bonita (album) explained

La Isla Bonita
Type:studio
Artist:Deerhoof
Cover:Deerhoof - La Isla Bonita.jpg
Genre:Indie rock, noise rock
Label:Polyvinyl
Producer:Nick Sylvester
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La Isla Bonita is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Deerhoof. Produced by former music journalist and Mr. Dream drummer Nick Sylvester, it was released on November 4, 2014 through Polyvinyl Record Co.[1] [2]

The track "Exit Only" was released as the first single off the album on August 20, 2014.[3] On September 10, 2014, Deerhoof shared the second track "Paradise Girls". The band embarked on a tour in support of the album in November 2014.[4]

Background

The album's recording started when Deerhoof tried to write a track similar to their live cover of Ramones’ "Pinhead", which resulted in the track "Exit Only". Demo tracks were recorded for a week at guitarist Ed Rodriguez’s home in Oregon and sent to Nick Sylvester, who eventually produced the album.[5] The album draws upon a wide array of influences, including Radiohead, The Flaming Lips, Lou Reed, Sonic Youth, Beck, the Roots, Ric Ocasek, David Byrne, Janet Jackson, and Madonna, with the album's title being a reference to Madonna's "La Isla Bonita".[1] [6]

On the same press release, drummer Greg Saunier stated:

Critical reception

La Isla Bonita received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 77, which indicates "generally positive reviews", based on 27 reviews. AllMusic critic Heather Phares regarded the record as "another fine example of how the band changes course on almost every album" and wrote: "they've been able to put different but cohesive spins on their sound so well, and for so long, is truly remarkable."

Track listing

  1. "Paradise Girls" — 3:35
  2. "Mirror Monster" — 2:39
  3. "Doom" — 3:20
  4. "Last Fad" — 3:03
  5. "Tiny Bubbles" — 3:28
  6. "Exit Only" — 2:45
  7. "Big House Waltz" — 3:27
  8. "God 2" — 1:43
  9. "Black Pitch" — 3:24
  10. "Oh Bummer" — 4:25

Personnel

Deerhoof
Technical personnel

Notes and References

  1. Deerhoof Return with 'La Isla Bonita' LP . . August 20, 2014 . October 15, 2014 . Hughes, Josiah.
  2. Deerhoof announces new album, La Isla Bonita, streams "Exit Only" . . August 20, 2014 . October 15, 2014 . Coplan, Chris.
  3. Web site: Deerhoof Announce New Album La Isla Bonita, Share "Exit Only" . . August 20, 2014 . October 15, 2014 . Minsker, Evan.
  4. Web site: Deerhoof Share "Paradise Girls", Announce Tour . . September 10, 2014 . October 15, 2014 . Minsker, Evan.
  5. Deerhoof to release new album 'La Isla Bonita' . . August 23, 2014 . October 15, 2014 . Earls, John.
  6. Joe . Lynch . Deerhoof Celebrates 20 Years With Release of Madonna-Inspired 'La Isla Bonita' Album. October 31, 2014. Billboard. November 30, 2015.