Deerhunter’s aptly titled Kranky debut Cryptograms earns its name moving from murky swamps of feedback and delay into shimmering swirls of crystalline hooks. Immediacy multiplies as disarray rolls off the reels and a new dawn yawns into focus. Fluorescent Grey continues that established trend of increasing definition, opening with a much more lucid reflection on loss. Grappling with plaguing ruminations over an incongruously bright and chiming rhythm, the morbid imagery of bodies in decay arrives on lines so mellifluous their words are easily obscured. Far from a fault, that contrast makes such beautiful invitations to bloody eviscerations unnervingly captivating. Just like fellow Atlantan Young Jeezy spins tales of drug pushing into inspirational manifestos, Deerhunter convert mortal anxiety into transcendent escape. Their ongoing refinement of that aesthetic makes Fluorescent Grey an essential counterpart to Cryptograms and a striking statement all on its own.

• "Wash Off" MP3