The Apples In Stereo: The Discovery Of A World Inside The Moone

As the unofficial flagship of the Elephant 6 collective—the ever-expanding gathering of '60s pop and psychedelic revivalists that also includes Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, and many others—a great deal of pressure has been placed upon The Apples In Stereo. After all, how long can a movement go on without a manifesto, a single work that can be seen as representing its core beliefs With all its diversity, it's unlikely that any member of Elephant 6 will ever produce anything so definitive. But, for those waiting for an album with enough instantly recognizable, undeniable greatness to justify the nebulous sub-genre in its entirety, the wait is over. At once infectious and challenging, complex and direct, The Discovery Of A World Inside The Moone represents the new standard for those seeking to carry the torch lit by the Beatles and Beach Boys. Always among the least overtly experimental of the E6ers, the band tends to work within the confines of the pop song rather than break them. But if there's one thing Apples leader Robert Schneider (and, on her two tracks, percussionist Hilarie Sidney) knows, it's that a lot can go on inside a pop song. As always, the group does more than merely pay tribute to the past. This is yesterday's pop re-imagined as the music of tomorrow, and it's gripping from start to finish. "Go" announces from the beginning what to expect: It's busy and incredibly catchy, the guitars are a bit fuzzier than usual, and Schneider's vocals a bit more adenoidal. Edgy isn't quite the word for music this joyous, eager to please, and immaculately produced, but there's a disarming sense that anything could happen. That feeling dominates "The Rainbow," "Stream Running Over," "Look Away," and the surprisingly funky "The Bird That You Can't See," all standouts on a remarkable record. Never mind Oasis; The Apples In Stereo demonstrates just how far you can see by standing on the shoulders of giants.