The Apples In Stereo shift into pop-punk gear

The Apples in Stereo have no problem in shifting their gear from exploring psychedelic pop in detail on the previous three albums to ‘Velocity In Sound’ that is, stenographically speaking, a punk-pop record, lasting less than 29 minutes!? Noting that there is a bonus track, ‘She’s Telling Lies’, on the Euro-edition, this is a bloody succinct disc!

Well, the Denver four-piece band obviously believes that if you can’t say it in less than three minutes, it ain’t worth stating. Noble sentiments at the time when there is less and less honesty in the music world that, alike the film industry, would rather sell (sonic) lies in huge quantities to the detriment of quality. TAIS’ sports the latter in dozes to donate and ‘Velocity’ is an album that sounds really raw, garage-like, hardly produced, with tinny drums and ‘dirty’ guitars. And, the vocal that often sounds like it doesn’t give a – damn! Sneer punk, sneer!

The album is sequenced as if it were a vinyl issues and the last track on ‘Side One’ is the first killer: ‘Where We Meet’ impresses as a cut on the crossroads of punk and old-skool hard rock. There is even an element of funkiness when ‘Yore Days’ rhythm gets hold of your body and forces it to jig a bit, babee! It gets more basic and primal on ‘Better Days’, the most energetic cut of the album.

Interesting aspect is that a couple of tracks are sung by a female, drummer Hilarie Sidney – Mrs Robert Schneider/mother to son Max, who recently collaborated with the XTC’s legendary leader, Andy Partridge, on songs for a side-project, Orchestra Fantastique – and her vocal supplies different texture to ‘Rainfall’ and ‘I Want’. ‘VoS’ is a disc for fans of Weezer and Ash, for instance, but it might take the band’s long-term fans a bit of time to get used to this shift in velocity. It is certainly worth persevering. Perhaps ‘Baroque’ will soothe ‘em a bit with its catchy chorus and general sound that flirts with pop idiom.

Evidently this is a guitar album and keyboards only add a touch of flavour on ‘Where We Meet’ with a rare echo of psychedelia gliding its way on ‘Mystery’, in the guitar sound and treatment. But, perhaps, ‘Baroque’ should satisfy blinkered psychedelics… Open your ears and seize the acceleration!

8/10