Event

The Black Apples

It's been a long time since I found a CD that I can listen to and not want to skip through some tracks. From the moment I put the Black Apples Enjoy on my computer, it's all I've been listening to.

Each song on the album has a hip retro feel on the cusp of the 60s and the 70s. The recording even captures that signature sound; most of it done live, loud and dirty, with some overdub. They achieve that perfect trashy garage band noise.

The opening song, "Buffalo," takes you back in time with a 60s surf pop inspired vibe. The chanks at the beginning leave you wondering if you are nodding to the offbeat or the down beat until the drum fill/screaming howl answer that question. Then you are off on a blast from the past.

It's hard picking a favorite song on the album, because they are all ingenious. But I want to highlight a few of the extremely stand-out ones. "Where the Wild Things Are" is simple in that anyone can sing along by the third meter. But what's awesome is the ability to take that simplicity and throw out a wide range of styles (think Dick Dale meets Iggy Pop). On "Egyptian Rowboat" drummer/singer Campbell Scarsborough channels Jim Morrison through the seductive lucidity in his boisterous vocals. "20 Years at Sea" would make David Byrne jeaulous as it could be from an early Talking Heads album.

This album is worth having, if you are able to get one. The band decided to only press 100. It is truly a rare gem in our local music scene