Tone Soul Evolution (1997; TAIS 03)

The second full-length album by The Apples in stereo isn't as surprising as their debut, 1995's Fun Trick Noisemaker, but it doesn't sound like simply more of the same. Graced with a larger budget and access to a fully equipped 24-track recording studio for the first time, the group (particularly singer/songwriter/producer Robert Schneider) is working with a much larger canvas now, and it shows.

The sound of this album is just remarkable, as layered as any of Jeff Lynne's mid-'70s Electric Light Orchestra albums, but with a freshness and energy that keeps things from merely sounding slick. Schneider explores his fascination with Smile-era Brian Wilson on atmospheric linking tracks like "The Silvery Light of a Dream" and the album's wordless coda, giving the record a sonic unity arguably missing from the all-over-the-map Fun Trick Noisemaker. - All Music Guide

"The Apples in sterero sound like the long-lost love children of the Beach Boys, and in this album they show off how much they LOVE psychpop from the sixties. And if someone loves psychpop from the sixties, they're likely to love "Tone Soul Evolution." - Amazon.com