Search - Apples in Stereo :: Wallpaper Reverie

Bonus tracks make a strong album even better

Brian | Tampa, Florida United States | 04/10/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If "Fun Trick Noisemaker" was The Apples in Stereo in childhood and "The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone" is the band's coming of age, then "Her Wallpaper Reverie" is the Apples as teenagers. They're confident, but they're not sure yet what they want to be or where they're going. The music is innocent and charming, lacking a bit of the power-pop edge of "Moone" but providing much catchier songwriting than any previous Apples release. Details of the album's regular tracks are covered in reviews for the U.S. version, so I'll cover the bonus tracks here. "Behind the Waterfall" has an interesting, water-sounding background that's reminiscent of parts of The Beach Boys' "Cool, Cool Water." "Her Pretty Face" is a great tune provided by Hilarie Sidney, who generally writes one or two great tunes on each Apples album. The other three, "Everybody Let Up," "The Friar's Lament" and "Extended Introduction," are merely OK, but the bonus tunes make this album worth buying if you can find it. Note, though, that all of the bonus tracks except "Extended Introduction" are available on the "Look Away" EP. If you have it, you don't have much reason to look for this version of this album."