ALBUMS WE’RE THANKFUL FOR: Deerhunter’s ‘Halcyon Digest’ Showed Me What an ‘Album’ Can Be

For Thanksgiving, MMC Writers are sharing records they’re grateful for.

I’m thankful for Halcyon Digest by Deerhunter.

Released in 2010, when I was a college sophomore and still discovering the world of indie rock, Bradford Cox’s intensely personal lyrics showed me the emotional range a band can pack into 46 minutes. The instrumentation and arrangements – from the bass-driven “Desire Lines” to the sparkling “He Would Have Laughed” to the sax-featuring “Coronado” – show the spectrum an album can cover while making such a cohesive statement.

In short, my appreciation for the ‘album’ began with Halcyon Digest and it will always remain a personal gold standard.