... and songs for the privileged

Deerhoof have managed to put out a perfectly delectable pop record with its fifth release, Apple O.' Satomi's vocals are candy-sweet and never fail to add the icing on the bubble gum-flavored cake that is Deerhoof.\nDeerhoof is pop music for indie snobs; the guitars are layered and even heavy at times, and the bass is dancy and clean. The first two tracks, "Dummy Discards a Heart" and "Heart Failure," are fast-paced and frantic, but keep an upbeat rhythm that is easy to get caught up in.\nThe most infectious tune is "Panda Panda Panda," which sticks in the listener's head like the bubble gum pop Deerhoof does such a good job disguising. The instrumentation fades into the background and Satomi's vocals both exploit and mock pop culture's fetish for all things Asian.\nApple O' is an adorable and subtly sophisticated pop album, and would make for marvelous "summer 2003" mix tapes and early morning dance parties. The record's only downfall is the very thing which makes it so charming: its simplicity. To deride Apple O' for not challenging the listener would be to deny decades of pop classics, which surely this record will someday be among.