The Apples In Stereo
Velocity of Sound
SpinArt/Cooking Vinyl

Apples in Stereo must be regarded as the main band in the Elephant 6 stable with their well arranged but not always well recorded music and has always been in high regards here at the Kafé. Velocity Of Sound is their fifth album since their debut in 1995 and is as such a step away from their often whimsical, playful and twisted contribution to pop history. Main Apple Robert Schneider has found the time right to change the band's musical direction and has described this as "Phil Spector pointing a gun at The Ramones" (as opposed to Brian Wilson jamming with Pianosaurus arranged by Robert Kirby, I guess). And didn't Spector point a gun at da brudders at some time?

Schneider has decided that the melodies were to be focused this time and let the complex arrangements rest. What we have then is distorted songs played at full speed (most of them anyway), and I must admit I wasn't much impressed the first time I gave the record a spin. But from then on it was pure pleasure with two guitars, a bunch of fuzz pedals, bass and drums. Not all the songs have the same high quality throughout but as much as I have loved their previous records, this may just be their best batch yet. And if you want just one Swingle Singers-influenced garage pop song this year, look no further than "Baroque". Marvellous!

File next to Weezer's underrated Pinkerton both for content and length; 11 songs clocking in at just 28 minutes - and that includes an European bonus track!

Copyright © 2002 Pingo