Monday 28 January 2013

The History Of Apple Pie - Out Of View - album review

The History of Apple Pie-Out of View (Marshall Teller Records

DL/CD/LP 

Out 28th Jan 2013

Four singles into their career, The History Of Apple Pie release their debut album 'Out Of View' and it's a great point at which to reflect on a band that's created a buzz with their first three sold out 7" singles.
Those three singles 'You're So Cool', 'Mallory' and 'Do It Wrong' are a very impressive start to a CV for a new band and form the blueprint for the rest of the album, which includes their most accessible single to date, the chirpy, poppy, effervescent 'See You', which ultimately is the highlight of the album.
The album wears its influences on its sleeve with hues of Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr. and My Bloody Valentine, but with the harmonies and melodies of Lush. And whilst there's been hundreds of bands that have followed that route, THOAP succeed where many have failed before.

The chemistry in the dual-pronged female vocals of lead Stephanie Min and bassist Kelly-Lee Owens recollects the lighter more angelic elements of those influences, making it more accessible and immediate in a world of bands trying to imitate their predecessors.

It's not just about the two girls as well, THOAP can rock out when they feel the need yet there's no noise for noise's sake. Always a good sign, there's two guitarists in the band Aslam and Jerome who drive the sound along, no more so than on opening track 'Tug' and 'Mallory'.
The singles, forming nearly half the album as they do, will be familiar to many, but the remaining tracks on the album don't pale in comparison.

Where there's the cooing vocals of 'Mallory', the trio of 'The Warrior', 'Glitch' and 'Long Way To Go' are equally beautiful slices of simple guitar-driven pop with dreamy vocals running through them that would slip effortlessly into alternative daytime radio schedules. In the meantime, 'I Want More' and 'Before You Reach The End', both weighing in at over five minutes, flesh out their sound, particularly in a dramatic instrumental break in the former and a rousing ending prior to a closing minute of feedback in the latter, to prove there's more to them than just being a singles band.

There's no gimmicks or pretense with 'Out Of View' or with the band themselves. It's straight forward, fun guitar-driven pop music with an edge and we need some of that right now to counter what mainstream radio is telling us is a resurgence of guitar music. Still not convinced about their name though.

You can find The History of Apple Pie on Facebook, Soundcloud, twitter and on their official website.

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