The Apples in Stereo

Even when they're trying to rebel, Robert Schneider and his Apples in Stereo can sound so
Sixties: "It's their society, yeah/That makes me wanna scream" is a line that could have
been lifted off a Turtles album. It's a toss-up between Schneider and drummer Hilarie
Sidney as to who's got the higher voice, which gives the music a breathlessly fey pop-rock
momentum - the Hollies in overdrive, the Mamas and the Papas done up with Ram... More >

After years of taking the band name literally, I realized that not even Magical Mystery Tour was this arch. If Robert Schneider's falsetto affect evokes the '60s, it's such extreme cases as the Hollies of "Carrie-Anne" and the Small Faces of "Itchycoo Park," a narrow frame of reference even as formalism goes. Here it's played for teen ambience rather than musicianly musing. The gurl cameos help, as does the antigurl Beach Boys closer, but since the teens it speaks for are as imaginary as the era it honors, that Schneider (just barely) brings the conceit off is the usual tribute to his songwriting chops. If he had anything to say, he could be a contender. (Grade: A-)