The Apples in Stereo: New Magnetic Wonder

Label: Yep Roc

How long has it been since the last Apples in Stereo record? Here’s one indication: The Elephant 6 was still around. It’s been five years since Robert Schneider & Co. gave us a proper full-length, back when the idea of making Beatles-Byrds-Beach-Boys-inspired baroque pop (one of the loose ideals of the Elephant 6) was still a popular idea. Few attempt such grandiosity these days, but Apples are still at it, still churning out superlative power pop with tremendous style and wit, and New Magnetic Wonder stands as one of the band’s finest efforts. Apples were always the most Beatlesesque of the E6 collective (as evidenced in their name), and the adjective still applies, but their prototype this time is more Magical Mystery Tour than Sgt. Pepper’s. It’s a wise move. By aping a sensibility instead of the songs, New Magnetic Wonder stands on its own right as a strong, original work of great pop. Of course, gooey, hooks-laden rock is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it is mine, and if it’s yours, don’t pass this one up. (James)