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May 19, 2010 Web Exclusive By Hays Davis

Deerhoof had expanded from a trio to a quartet by the time of the recording of 2003’s Apple O’, and the members gelled for what would become some of their most memorable music to date. With guitarist Chris Cohen joining drummer Greg Saunier, singer/bassist Satomi Matsuzaki and guitarist John Dieterich, the songs evinced a new immediacy, veering from the electronic elements included in the previous year’s Reveille to more of a live-sounding, muscular approach.
    
Kill Rock Stars rolled out a blue vinyl edition of Apple O’ for this year’s Record Store Day, which includes a digital download and bonus tracks. Seven years from its release, the album still stands as a singular work, and one of surprising power. “Panda Panda Panda,” one of the band’s quintessential songs, is included here, and it remains a perfect starting point for anyone new to the band. With its crisp, churning guitars and tricky rhythms, Matsuzaki steps in with a surgically precise, staccato vocal delivery, meeting the guitars note-by-note for an effect that’s equal parts charming and remarkable.
    
The band gamely explores its range here, sometimes within the same song, as with “Apple Bomb” and its gentle-to-explosive buildup. Along with the inclusion of some of their most accessible work up to that point, such as the madly propulsive “Dummy Discards A Heart,” this version of Apple O’ offers period-piece live and demo bonus tracks that will be of particular interest to fans. (www.deerhoof.killrockstarts.com)

Author rating: 7/10