Indie rock band Deerhoof has recently announced their twentieth album, “Noble and Godlike in Ruin,” poised to release on April 25 of this year. With this announcement came the first two tracks of the album, and more recently, the album’s closer, “Immigrant Songs,” which has proven to be one of the band’s most important songs to date.
The song deals with the topic of immigration and the troubles that lead singer Satomi Matsuzaki has faced after moving to the United States from Japan. She sings of her efforts to assimilate into the U.S. and her being belittled at best or thought of as a sort of malicious invader at worst. She also sings of how her pleas in the band’s music are ignored, speaking on how many listeners will ignore the calls for help and/or change in a song so long as it sounds catchy.
While the first half of the song does follow an upbeat and catchy melody, Deerhoof makes sure that the true emotions and intentions behind the song are not lost on the listener, with the second half abruptly turning into a noisy cacophony of panicked guitar and drum playing, with outright unsettling and bloodcurdling screams coming in near the end.
“Immigrant Songs” tells a story that is applicable to millions, both past, present and future. While it’s refreshing to hear such a direct stance in solidarity with immigrants and their pleas, the song also serves as a stark and distressing reminder that the hatred they face is still alive and well.
Rating: 10/10