New Magnetic Wonder, the new Apples in Stereo album, has a lot going on.
It's a double album featuring 14 full songs and 12 "link tracks." The music experiments with a new "Non-Pythagorean" scale, invented by singer/guitarist Robert Schneider (explained in the MIDI files found on the enhanced CD). The record features an appearance by indie god Jeff Mangum (though his role is somewhat illusory) among many other guest spots. Schneider's now ex-wife Hilarie Sidney plays drums on the album (as she has on all past Apples albums) and sings lead on two songs (which may be the best two on the album). It will be the first Apples record not released on SpinART and will instead come out on fledgling Simian Records, a record label formed by Elijah Wood.
With all that in mind, the most impressive thing about the whole record is that the band's first release since 2002 might be its best.
From the first seconds of the album opener "Can You Feel It?" to the final tones of "Non-Pythagorean Composition 3," New Magnetic Wonder is both cheerfully cathartic and nostalgically poppy throughout. Though the lyrics can be clichéd and redundant at times, the music is enjoyable at its worst and groundbreaking at its best.
For a band that has, in the past, been criticized for perhaps being overly simplistic with its music, the Apples in Stereo have put out an astonishingly elaborate record. With masterfully layered guitars and Zombies-esque harmonies, it's an album you may need to listen to a few times to catch everything.
The recording is so dense, in fact, that the computer on which the music was recorded and produced crashed several times from the dozens of tracks (96 at times) laid over one another. With instrumentation that includes a Mellotron, a euphonium and a plastic whistle (among other things), Apples in Stereo has produced its most ambitious album to date.
More impressive, though, is that they've managed to progress musically without forsaking their roots stylistically, continuing to play exuberant indie pop that wouldn't be out of place at a barbecue or a water park. New Magnetic Wonder manages to straddle the line between being alluringly experimental and just plain enjoyable.
During the band's hiatus, Schneider spent time doing side projects and producing other albums in his studio. There were more than a few who proclaimed Apples in Stereo dead. Not only is New Magnetic Wonder proof of the band's life, it's an album that's sure to make the listener happy to be alive.
Grade: A
-- Reviewed by Adam Clair
