Apples frontman Robert Schneider established his love for ELO on 2007’s New Magnetic Wonder, and this follow-up reveals a further exploration of that sound. Vocodered backup singers (the first of many) counter an emphatic piano line on “Dream About the Future,” cascading harpsichord kicks off “No Vacation,” and “Dignified Dignitary” feeds off the “Do Ya” riff. The album also features songs written and sung by other Apples, and while they’re perfectly pleasant indie pop, they only accentuate Schneider’s mastery.
