can describe Deerhoof to you, although I'm not sure how much good it would do. I mean, "American-Japanese, la-la grating, super-catchy metal, noise-burst Yoko Ono-y, Sonic Youth-y, insane indie-pop" isn't exactly helpful. Deerhoof makes rock music. In print, the specifics only serve to confuse.

What I can tell you is why Milk Man, the band's new album, is its finest hour to date. Since every Deerhoof record is, at its core, a mess, that Milk Man is probably the most focused thing the band has ever done sounds a bit like an insult. But marrying the out-and-out craziness of Deerhoof's early career with the pop experimentation of last year's Apple O' was a perfect move for the band members. They have been weirder, and they have been more tuneful, but they have never been quite this self-assured. On "Milking" and "Dream Wanderer's Tune" (and all the other proper songs), Deerhoof casts off its spastic past and almost approximates a real band. Sure, there's still the stuttering "Dog on the Sidewalk" and the rumpled pianos of "Song of Sorn" to throw things off, but you might actually be able to sing along with most of Milk Man. That's big news for a band not a year on from "Panda Panda Panda."

I can't unequivocally tell you to buy Milk Man, because, really, it's not for everybody. But if the idea of a crazed Japanese girl singing over a bunch of messy college rock appeals to you at all, you're not going to do much better than Deerhoof. And, be honest, when was the last time you bought a record you couldn't describe in any other way but "awesome"?

-- Reviewed by Paul Thompson