Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Welcome back!, February 6, 2007
There came a time that the true meaning of pop music was lost in popular culture. Somewhere along the line Britney Spears, *Nsync, and dozens of other now-forgotten "artists" came to exemplify pop as a here-today, gone-tomorrow music made to satisfy the wallets of record label executives more than the public. And while the pop explosion of the late 90s came and went, The Apples in Stereo were subtly staying true to what pop music was all about. Over a decade after the band released their debut album, The Apples in Stereo are back with their first new album in about 5 years, "New Magnetic Wonder." For fans of The Apples, it's been quite a long time coming.
The album starts out about as strong as The Apples have ever sounded, with a vocoderized "Turn up the stereo-o" leading into a full-fledged guitar driven pop-rock sing along called "Can You Feel It?" Here, Robert Scheider's unique voice calls out "Oh, Turn up the stereo! Oh, drown out the static on the FM radio!" It's an amazing way to start out the album, and a fantastic toe-tapper at that! The opener runs head-on into "Skyway," yet another great guitar and vocal-driven pop song, complete with an all-too-catchy "Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo" complementing the chorus.
Taking a page right out of former Elephant 6 pioneers, The Olivia Tremor Control's, playbook, "New Magnetic Wonder" almost has as many short sub-minute tracks as it does full-fledged pop songs (10 to be exact). While these tracks can be somewhat distracting to the overall feel of the album, they also serve as quick-breathers on what would otherwise be a non-stop upbeat pop album. On that note, both "Mellotron Pt. 1" and "Mellotron Pt.2" are kind of funny to listen to, if only to hear The Apples in Stereo try their best at lo-fi 40s lounge music. It seems as if a few of these tracks are just excuses to play around on a vocoder, but some, like "Non-Pythagorean Composition Pt. 1" are just really short, beautiful instrumental songs.
"Energy" is a spirited affair that just begs to be clapped along to. It's highlighted by it's incredibly catchy chorus where Schneider sings, "And the world is made of energy. And there's a lot inside of you. And there's a lot inside of me." "Same Old Drag" is piano-heavy pop song that's hard not to consider perfect, at least when it comes to pop music. Of course, an album with 24 tracks is sure to have it's set of missteps, but The Apples are fortunate to have these kept to a minimum. "Sun Is Out" is more of a repetitive meditation than an actual song, and at over two-minutes, no one's going to blame you for skipping ahead.
Other highlights of the album include "Sunndal Song" and "Sunday Sounds" both sung beautifully by drummer Hilarie Sidney, as well as the heavy pop-rock sounds of "7 Stars" and "Open Eyes." Above all, however, is probably "Beautiful Machines," a powerful 4-part song that's played out over 2 tracks. By the time Part 4 comes around, you'll have forgotten that you're listening to The Apples in Stereo, as it sounds more like Doves or even Snow Patrol. Of course, the band is sure to remind you who you're listening to with the short, yet catchy "My Pretend," a song that caps off a wonderful album flawlessly.
The Apples in Stereo have been out of the indie music scene for some time now. During that time, other bands have risen up and tried to take their place at the top of the indie pop-rock totem pole. Though The Apples may have died long ago in the minds of many hipsters and college students, true fans have been eagerly anticipating this album for some time. They will not be disappointed. "New Magnetic Wonder" not only brings The Apples in Stereo back from the dead, but it puts all the lesser, would-be dethroners in their rightful place; miles below this great, American band.
Key Tracks:
1. "Can You Feel It?"
2. "Energy"
3. "Same Old Drag"
4. "7 Stars"
5. "Beautiful Machines"
7 out of 10 Stars
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The world is made of energy, February 5, 2007
The Apples in Stereo have been charming listeners for years with their psychedelic rock music. They're the most accessible of all the Elephant 6 bands, and one of the more talented ones.
But with "New Magnetic Wonder," this lovable band creates their best album yet -- tight pop melodies that play on their strengths, colourful music, and a sound that's just a little bit warped. It sprawls over two discs, yet never feels like they're overstuffing it.
It opens with a chiming little melody... and a muffled voice speaking through a vocorder, like a pop Darth Vader. Then the nimble guitar and drums kick in, blossoming into a fun, energetic pop tune. "Turn up your STER-E-O!"
That energy carries over into the songs that follow -- solid rockers ("you follow the skyway... you follow the streets and the cars/and the shadows and the stars!"), shimmering psychpop, bouncy rock'n'roll songs, sunny guitar pop, and lo-fi ramblers.
Then the Apples segue back into an even more polished second volume -- the shimmering "7 Stars," stompy rockers, blippy little music boxes, and effervescent pop melodies. It peaks with the four-part "Beautiful Machine," which soars up to the heavens like the sound of a thunderstorm being blown away.
This album is a bit different from other Apples in Stereo albums, with a more streamlined sound. Rob Schneider and Co. pepper the actual songs with little blippy, quirky interludes, reminiscent of artier projects. And they dabble in a more epic, expansive feeling than they had before, but fortunately that doesn't require the sacrifice of the retro-sixties vibe.
Most of the songs center on fast-driving guitar and drums, which make some wonderfully catchy melodies. But they're also draped in fuzz bass, piano moments, and waves of shimmering mellotron, shimmering distorted voice, quirky wavery electronica, and dozens of other instruments. I think I hear church bells somewhere in there.
Legendary Neutral Milk Hotelier Jeff Mangum even enters the album, to provide handclaps, drums, and something called a "cow object." I don't know what that is, to be honest.
Frontman Robert Schneider -- after a stint in the Marbles -- returns with his boyish vocals, crooning over the complex music about skyways, celestial objects, the idealism of friendship, and "Seven stars in the sky, in the sky/you're feeling sociable/silver stars in your eyes, in your eyes/you feel emotional... and you don't even know my name/and I know every constellation..."
"New Magnetic Wonder" takes this band onto a whole new musical level, and one that it will be hard for them to top. Absolutely stunning, and a great way to enter the new (musical) year.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Apples Album Yet, February 6, 2007
Taking five+ years between albums oftentimes spells trouble. Also, intra-band turmoil often produces lackluster music. The Apples In Stereo avoid both pitfalls and have made their best album ever. There's nothing else to say. If you like the Apples In Stereo already, you will adore this album. If you don't like the Apples In Stereo or Elephant Six-type bands, you won't much care for this. Easily a 5-star album for people who like this sort of music.
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