How often is compassion an element of popular music lately? Probably a lot more often than I think, but, still, I don’t see how anyone could have more compassion than a group that writes songs about bears that hang suspended from wires to collect logs in the war against..uh.. . the evil of Humanity. Isn’t that what you got out of the King, the Man, the Girl?

Deerhoof are here to tell you about real love on Apple O’. And they know it’s destructive, addictive, sugary sexy sweetness. It’s their main sonic source on this recording, love. It’s the same thing that made me repeat plays of Reveille all winter. It’s also, ultimately, the same thing that made me loan Reveille out to anyone who wanted to hear it. Yes, I wanted to share the wealth, but I also needed a break from the self-indulgent high that came with listening.

So, along comes Apple O’ in an extremely rapid follow up, perhaps capitalizing on the very encouraging word of mouth circulating about this band. This record delivers on their promise of clusterfuck noise pop gems that sneak a finger up your ass with unexpected tact. The careening riffs bouncing in stereo, the rock solid Rock Drumming, Satomi’s studied coo, lyrics that are poetic and playful (it’s amazing how many bands utterly fail lyrically, and that Deerhoof so effortlessly succeed), and a unifying strangeness that transcends concept album pomp and just becomes a simple singular statement without any lofty intentions.

This is an album you should buy. It might make you question why you buy other albums, indeed, why you buy anything at all, because you won’t find many other products that contain true love. You might also pick up on the urgent message these people seem to communicate. Help me decipher what it is! It must be accomplished!

- Trip Maker