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The Apples in Stereo Her Wallpaper Reverie Released in 1999 7.4/10 Styles Pop Psychadelia Song Highlights The Shiney Sea Strawberryfire Ruby |
Her Wallpaper Reverie is The Apples in Stereo's 3rd attempt at sounding exactly the same as the Beatles, but their first at sounding like the LSD-chugging Beatles of the later 60s. It's a concept album about, it seems, the numerous advantages of taking a lot of drugs and then staring at the walls. Something like that anyway. The band's rather silly attempt at concept isn't what makes this album great, though. Rather, it's the absolutely brilliant pop songcraft to be found in almost every song. "Ruby" has one of the most wonderfully mindless "la - la la la" singalongs you'll ever hear; "The Shiney Sea" is a fantastically trippy, yet still completely accessable opener; and undoubtably the album's standout, "Strawberryfire" is possibly the best song The Beatles never wrote. However, the phrase "brilliant pop songcraft to be found in almost every song" brings to light Her Wallpaper Reverie's greatest flaw. The album is 15 tracks long, but only contains 7 actual songs. The remainder of the album is made up random sonic experimentation, comprised of a common melody played out on a series of jarring, very-not-pop "instruments." Rather than entertaining, it mostly ends up being a grating interlude, taking up precious album space that could be devoted to more of that wonderful pop (which has always been The Apples greatest strong point). Oddly enough, though, the album still manages to work. The actual songs are just too damn good to pass up. The Apples in Stereo have enough irresistable charm to make Her Wallpaper Reverie a success, which is quite a feat for an album that is, essentially, about 20 minutes long. |