The Apples In Stereo Tone Soul Evolution by: Mark Simms Tue:24-Jul-07 Label: Year: 1997 WB rating 88 out of 100

Tone Soul Evolution is an album of finely crafted concoctions of pop and warm fuzz. Closely mimicking the 60’s sounds of The Beach Boys and The Beatles, these delicately crafted yet simple pop songs have that same infectious quality that made those bands, and that period, so memorable. As such the album is choc-full of layers of instrumental and vocal harmonies, ooh-la-la’s, handclaps, boppy melodies, smiles and sunshine; an overwhelming catchiness causing Tone Soul Evolution to be quite a rarity, a wanted infection!

‘Seems So’ is the beginning, a repetitive yet extremely catchy mix of old school harmonies, buoyant shakers, handclaps, and instruments acting as conductors of bop. The vocals gel perfectly with the carefully considered arrangement of upbeat guitars and percussion, easy on the ears, inviting a sing along. The theme of the album is established: warmth and catchiness.

Short but hypnotising, the Apples make every second count – each noise, each harmony, each instrument, reaches its full potential. However the major success of the album is its versatility; Tone Soul Evolution changes pace, volume, and instrumentation (horn sections, piccolo, booming trombone), avoiding predictability at every turn. ‘About Your Fame’ is an example of this, turning the bouncy pop down a notch, but not the catchiness. It may be a minute dose of delicately stroked acoustic guitar, but its slow beat, and steady percussion, joined by the shaky seductiveness of tambourines, make it a winner.

In ‘Shine A Light’ the pace picks up and the catch-o-meter reaches a high; bright electric guitar, gleeful vocal harmonies, and instruments that pick it up a little bit. The voices and instruments of The Apples never collide or bump into one another, each comfortable in the context. ‘Silver Chain’ sees the vocals of drummer Hilarie Sidney make a welcome appearance; the mixed army of instruments combines in a sea of structured bops and noises to produce a contagious current that attempts to pull the listener deep down into the world of the Apples.

Another aspect of change and experimentation on Tone Soul Evolution is the two parts of ‘The Silvery Light Of A Dream’. Part one is heavy in static and sound effects; footsteps, birds, and clocks, confusing yet strangely alluring. However, in part two the upbeat tone disappears, giving way to brooding acoustic guitars that somehow maintain the band’s characteristically appealing melodies: “Why die? I don’t understand it.”

Tone Soul Evolution is a collection of tracks that are not only immediately catchy, but can last the journey. It’s an overwhelming album of pop buzz, an infectious thing that hopefully doesn’t have a cure.