Deeper emerged from Chicago’s rich DIY scene from a shared love of Wire, Gang of Four and Television. The new album Auto-Pain still falls within that post-punk tradition, although the band gives those influences their own twist more than ever. Supercooled synths allow the music to breathe in places that would normally be clogged up by noise guitars. The songs are arranged tighter and more compact, so that you suddenly realize that Deeper can also come out quite catchy.
Since the band played on Left of the Dial, the Americans have had some whiplashes: original guitarist Mike Clawson took his own life and ‘Lake Song’ is emphatically about the depression he was struggling with.
