Though DenverNs Apples In Stereo were largely responsible for the revival of Beach Boys-style psychedelic pop, buzz dwindled after their late-N90s heyday. YouNd be forgiven for thinking that they, like fellow Elephant 6 founders Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel, called it a day. (They did, in fact, go on a five-year hiatus through 2007, and front man Robert Schneider took additional time off to record a childrenNs album, Robbert Bobbert and the Bubble Machine.)
Whetting appetites for the bandNs seventh album (planned for release sometime next year), Schneider showcases 16 of his favorite Apples songs on #1 Hits Explosion. He gives equal attention to each phase of the bandNs 16 years, charting their progress from fuzzy lo-fi (“Tidal Wave,” “Winter Must Be Cold”) to jingle-jangle sweetness (“Seems So,” “Shine a Light”) to giddy kiddie-rock (“Please,” “Can You Feel It?”). Excusing cutesy moments—such as inviting young listeners to “play a game of hide-and-seek” in 2001Ns “Signal In the Sky,” pulled from a Powerpuff Girls soundtrack—thereNs not a stinker in the bunch.
Opener “Energy” gets things going with a punch, all jaunty hooks and sing-along choruses. From there, the disc bounds along with no regard for chronology. “Strawberryfire” does a lush and dreamy Sgt. Pepper thing. “The Bird That You CanNt See” is funky and danceable. Keyboard-happy “Same Old Drag” might be 2007Ns most chipper little ditty about advising a friend to take meds. While you could argue that early gems such as 1995Ns Fun Trick Noisemaker and 1997Ns Tone Soul Evolution deserve a little more love, thereNs lots here to appreciate for old or new fans making up for lost time.
