Deerhunter

Eight months after the triumphant release of their ambitious Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. double effort, Deerhunter return with an EP to keep the blood flowing. Much like Fluorescent Grey did with Cryptograms, Rainwater Cassette Exchange feels more like a standalone piece than an addendum, as the Atlantans run through their musical range. The band's evolution is nowhere more obvious than on the title track, with its submerged production and tropical influence imagining pop music in the same spellbinding milieu as his friends in Animal Collective. "Disappearing Ink" furthers their well-known obsession for Krautrock, but then "Famous Last Words" is arguably the most commercial thing they've done, utilizing a repetitive chorus, beefy guitar melody and two-minute lifespan to test the waters of viability. "Game of Diamonds" dives back into Microcastle's '50s pop obsession with a rather simple arrangement filled with hand drums and summery vibes. "Circulation" ends with their bread and butter motorik psychedelia that moves at a hare's pace. Deerhunter are a rare find: a band that continue to both mass-produce and progress while bettering themselves each time. This, of course, sets up massive expectations for their next full-length.