Fluorescent Grey
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''Fluorescent Grey'' is an
extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
accompaniment to ''
Cryptograms A cryptogram is a type of puzzle that consists of a short piece of encryption, encrypted text. Generally the cipher used to encrypt the text is simple enough that the cryptogram can be solved by hand. Substitution ciphers where each letter is ...
'', the second studio release by
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
-based band
Deerhunter Deerhunter is an American indie rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 2001. The band currently consists of Bradford Cox (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Moses Archuleta (drums, electronics, sound treatments), Lockett Pundt (guitar, vocals, ...
. The EP was released on CD by Kranky on May 8, 2007, and later as a
vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
bundle with ''Cryptograms''. A music video for the track "Strange Lights" is included with the CD release. The album's cover is a photograph of Deerhunter guitarist
Lockett Pundt Lockett James Pundt IV (born October 7, 1982) is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist. He is the guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of Atlanta-based indie rock group Deerhunter which he joined in 2005. Pundt also releases solo mater ...
as a seventh-grader. Its lyrical themes touch on death and the decomposition of the human body—"Fluorescent Grey" is the name lead singer
Bradford Cox Bradford James Cox (born May 15, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Deerhunter. He also pursues a solo career under the moniker Atlas Sound. Cox formed Deerh ...
gives to the color of dead flesh. ''Fluorescent Grey'' received a number of positive reviews upon its release. Cox later released a free series of demos over the internet, being early versions of tracks on ''Fluorescent Grey'' and other material.


Music and lyrics

Unlike ''
Cryptograms A cryptogram is a type of puzzle that consists of a short piece of encryption, encrypted text. Generally the cipher used to encrypt the text is simple enough that the cryptogram can be solved by hand. Substitution ciphers where each letter is ...
'', ''Fluorescent Grey'' does not contain any
ambient Ambient or ambiance or ambience may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ambiancé'', an unreleased experimental film * ''Ambient'' (novel), a novel by Jack Womack Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgr ...
tracks. Lead singer
Bradford Cox Bradford James Cox (born May 15, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Deerhunter. He also pursues a solo career under the moniker Atlas Sound. Cox formed Deerh ...
considers the EP's four tracks to be "four singles; they're all four good. They could stand on their own." The songs were recorded while ''Cryptograms'' was being mixed; their sound has been described as "tightly song-focused, not as drifting or dreamy" as ''Cryptograms''. Cox had considered including these tracks on the next Deerhunter record instead of releasing them on their own. However, he wanted the band's next album to be "something totally different" from ''Cryptograms'' and ''Fluorescent Grey''. As with ''Cryptograms'', Cox did not write the lyrics to the band's music in advance, instead singing
stream-of-consciousness In literary criticism, stream of consciousness is a narrative mode or method that attempts "to depict the multitudinous thoughts and feelings which pass through the mind" of a narrator. It is usually in the form of an interior monologue which i ...
. The lyrics of ''Fluorescent Grey'' carry themes of death and the decomposition of the human body. Cox used the term "Fluorescent Grey"—also the title of the EP's opening track—to describe the color of decaying flesh. He has described the lyrics of the song as being "about panic attacks, lust, and existential dread." "Dr. Glass", in which Cox sings of "so many useless bodies…in the world", is characterized as "more existential dread on a global scale". Cox has said that the EP's third track, "Like New," is "about waking up one day after a long period of depression and finding the world somehow more bearable and kind of ‘new’ and exciting again." The fourth and final song on ''Fluorescent Grey'', "Wash Off," describes Cox's encounters with an "uppity hippie kid" who sold him counterfeit
acid An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. Hydron, hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis ...
as a teenager, insisting that Cox was not open-minded enough for the drug to affect him. As the song ends, Cox repeats the phrase "I was sixteen".


Demo releases

In January 2008, Cox released a collection of nine tracks entitled ''Fluorescent Grey Demos & Out-takes'' as a free download on the Deerhunter
blog A blog (a Clipping (morphology), truncation of "weblog") is an informational website consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries also known as posts. Posts are typically displayed in Reverse chronology, reverse chronologic ...
. The release includes early demos of tracks from ''Fluorescent Grey'' as well as other unreleased material. The first three tracks, "Fluorescent Grey," "Dr. Glass," and "Like New," were recorded over one afternoon, created in an attempt "to better refine the songs" for their eventual release. Cox wrote on the Deerhunter blog that he "especially like this early version of "Dr. Glass," as he feels the band did not adequately capture "the atmosphere and creepiness" he desired for the song's final incarnation. The fourth track is a version of "Wash Off" recorded by Cox alone in December 2003. "Greyscale," recorded February 2006, is the original version of a track remixed for its release on '' Deerhunter 7"'', a
split album A split album (or split) is a music album that includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There are also singles and EPs of the same variety, which are often called "split singles" and "split EPs" respectively. Split albums differ from "v ...
recorded for Rob's House Records. The remix was done by band member Josh Fauver. "Kousin Klash" and "So Many Bodies" served as the framework for tracks on ''Fluorescent Grey''. Cox recorded "So Many Bodies" after experiencing a
panic attack Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear and Comfort, discomfort that may include palpitations, otherwise defined as a Tachycardia, rapid, Arrhythmia, irregular Heart rate, heartbeat, Hyperhidrosis, sweating, chest pain or discomfort, s ...
induced by a photograph he saw in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', showing an Iraqi girl hunched over her dead mother's corpse. "I started thinking about bodies and rotting and brutal violent human stuff, wars, all this terrible stuff from history…and literally hid under my sheets, sweating. I made this tape later that night." "Axis I (F.Grey)" is a track originally released on '' Atlas Sound/Mexcellent Split'' in 2007. "People Never No" is a sketch that later developed into the song "Fluorescent Grey"; in recording the song, Cox was inspired by the bands
The Breeders The Breeders are an American alternative rock band based in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of members Kim Deal (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), her twin sister Kelley Deal (lead guitar, vocals), Josephine Wiggs (bass guitar, vocals) and Jim Macpherson ( ...
and The Fall, and "obsessed with having two drum tracks on everything".


Reception

''Fluorescent Grey'' was given a score of 8.8/10 by
Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...
, as well as the publication's "Best New Music" accolade. Pitchfork writer Marc Hogan considered the EP "clearer and less abrasive than ''Cryptograms'' musically," and "a triumphant document of a stubbornly visionary young band with the world still spread out before them." Mike Diver of Drowned In Sound called ''Fluorescent Grey'' Deerhunter "at their most relaxed". He found the EP's musical style to be a "delightful deviation" from ''Cryptograms'', as it gives listeners an opportunity to step "back from all things fiery and furious" characterized by that album.
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
music critic Josh Berquist wrote of the EP's opening track, pointing out the contrast of Cox's "lucid reflection on loss… ndthe morbid imagery of bodies in decay" sung "over an incongruously bright and chiming rhythm", which he found made "such beautiful invitations to bloody eviscerations unnervingly captivating." Jeff Klingman of ''Prefix Magazine'' considered the final track of ''Fluorescent Grey'', "Wash Off", to be the only song which "channel the aggression that peppers ''Cryptograms'' first half." Klingman found Cox to be preoccupied with his past within this song's lyrics, "suggesting an unhealthy disconnect above and beyond wistful remembrance." In his review for
Tiny Mix Tapes ''Tiny Mix Tapes'' (also ''TMT'' or ''tinymixtapes'') is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, ...
, writer Chris Ruen said that ''Fluorescent Grey'' "is a bit rushed" in terms of structure, which he feels "detracts from one of Deerhunter’s particular strengths: constructing a dynamic, organic listening experience." David Coleman of No Ripcord called the EP "a less thrilling ride than ''Cryptograms''," and that while "There are plenty of good ideas, not to mention a great guitar sound...the band chooses to wrap it up early rather than kick back and explore these deasfurther."


Track listing

All songs written by Bradford Cox, except where noted. #"Fluorescent Grey" – 5:02 #"Dr. Glass" – 3:14 #"Like New" – 2:13 (music by Lockett Pundt) #"Wash Off" – 5:46


Personnel

*
Bradford Cox Bradford James Cox (born May 15, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Deerhunter. He also pursues a solo career under the moniker Atlas Sound. Cox formed Deerh ...
guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
, vocals,
bass drum The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter usually greater than its depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. The head ...
,
gong A gongFrom Indonesian language, Indonesian and ; ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ; ; ; ; is a percussion instrument originating from Southeast Asia, and used widely in Southeast Asian and East Asian musical traditions. Gongs are made of metal and ...
, tapes, keys,
piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
* Moses Archuleta
drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...
,
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...
*Joshua Fauver –
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
*Colin Mee – guitar, tapes, percussion *
Lockett Pundt Lockett James Pundt IV (born October 7, 1982) is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist. He is the guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of Atlanta-based indie rock group Deerhunter which he joined in 2005. Pundt also releases solo mater ...
– guitars * Nicolas Vernhes – mixing *Jennifer Munson – mastering


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fluorescent Grey 2007 EPs Deerhunter albums Kranky (record label) albums