Deafheaven's Lonely People With Power

Craig revisits an April conversation with Andrew about Deafheaven's 2025 album Lonely People With Power. They talk about why it hit them so hard, how it balances heaviness with melody, and why it feels like a culmination of everything the band has done. They break down the intentional role of the three "Incidentals," highlight the musicianship of Kerry McCoy, George Clarke, Daniel Tracy, Shiv Murali, and Chris Johnson, and compare the production to the band's earlier work. Track standouts include Doberman, Magnolia, Amethyst, Body Behavior, Revelator, Winona, and The Marvelous Orange Tree. Both hosts agree the record may be Deafheaven's best and expect it to show up on year-end lists. Timestamp Notes 00:00 – Intro and setup for the replay 00:40 – Why this album will appear on year-end lists 01:20 – Opening banter 02:00 – First impressions: both hosts love it 03:00 – Craig's note on why Deafheaven isn't for everyone 04:00 – Andrew's early struggles with Sunbather 06:00 – Wondering if this record would continue Infinite Granite 07:00 – Roadrunner Records and the return to heaviness 08:00 – The band's mystery and unpredictability 09:00 – Where Deafheaven sits in the broader music world 10:45 – The "Incidentals" and how they shape the album 12:00 – Incidental I leading into Doberman 13:00 – Incidental II analysis and Jay Matthews's part 16:00 – Incidental III and Paul Banks 17:00 – Why the sequencing matters 19:00 – Doberman and Magnolia as re-introductions 22:00 – Where Deafheaven fits on festival lineups 25:00 – Their evolution from Sunbather to now 28:00 – George Clarke on feeling exposed during Infinite Granite 30:00 – Why Infinite Granite was necessary for this album 34:00 – The album's length and relentlessness 37:00 – Body Behavior and Chris Johnson's bass moment 40:00 – Overall musicianship discussion 48:00 – Amethyst as the emotional core 52:00 – Production shift with Justin Meldal-Johnsen 56:00 – Amethyst as the purest form of the band 58:00 – Winona vs. The Marvelous Orange Tree 1:00:00 – How critics are receiving the album 1:03:00 – Why the album feels personal to the hosts 1:05:00 – Is this their best album? 1:06:00 – Closing remarks and sign-off