Rainwater Cassette Exchange

Released in May 2009, Rainwater Cassette Exchange is a five-track EP that serves as a crucial transitional document in Deerhunter's discography. Recorded during the same creative era as Microcastle, the EP showcases a more concise, direct approach to songwriting while retaining the band's signature ambient-shoegaze textures. The title track and 'Disappearing Ink' feature some of lock-step guitar work of Lockett Pundt and Bradford Cox, blending classic jangle-pop with a slightly anxious, modern edge. The EP culminates in 'Circulation', a five-minute track that starts as a driving post-punk song before collapsing into a hypnotic, krautrock-inspired electronic jam. This release solidified Deerhunter's reputation for being able to craft incredibly tight, accessible pop songs without sacrificing their experimental, noise-rock roots.