Robert Schneider, frontman of the indie-pop band the Apples in Stereo, is something of a musical genius and a monumental figure in the indie world. In the early '90s he founded the Elephant Six Collective, a recording company that has launched the careers of Neutral Milk Hotel, Of Montreal and the Olivia Tremor Control.
More impressively, Schneider actually created a non-Pythagorean musical scale, which is peppered throughout the Apples in Stereo's latest album, New Magnetic Wonder. Unfortunately, to the average Joe, the scale may sound like nothing more than an assortment of noises stolen from Star Trek.
Stripping away these futuristic electronics, it becomes evident that the Apples' sound is rooted in 1960s pop rock. In fact, the presence of the psychedelic electronics on the album reminscent of late experimental Beatles.
The timing and transitions of this album are perfect. It does not drag nor does it the leave the listener waiting for more. New Magnetic Wonder consists of 24 tracks, half of which are short musical segues of 13 to 40 seconds. These transitional tracks serve to give the album a cohesive feel, rarely found in music. The hooks are catchy, and when combined with the electronics beautifully artistic. Whether artistic or not, the non-Pythagorean tracks will probably be a bit too bizarre for some listeners.
In the end, one has to wonder whether Schneider has created an album that is genius or simply pretentious. And does it matter? The songs will be stuck in your head nonetheless.
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