Record Review - Apples in Stereo: Travellers in Space and Time

Time has revealed a lot about the Elephant 6 camp. That twee thing wasn’t just a passing phase. After all these years, Apples in Stereo are still all about it, and Travellers in Space and Time is their push toward the future via disco. Yes, the Apples have gone and churned out an aggravatingly catchy twee-disco hybrid that sounds just as giddy as the day they first started jangling away on their guitars. The Charlie Brown piano and childlike voice that set the tone in “Dream About the Future” are the test. If you can make it past the first song, you’ll find some serious hooks hiding in the gloss. “Hey Elevator” reaches a plateau of slick, futuristic pop, but the real gem is the seamless blending of “Blue Jean”-era Bowie, the Cars and Gary Numan, as heard on “Next Year at About the Same Time.” The album leans on the past while making guesses about the future, and in 25 years, it will sound timeless. 3 out of 5 stars.