CD Review

Poor Boston. Once Beantown was the crown jewel to alternative music, but now it finds itself cast aside the jetstream of Montreal to its northwest and New York City to its southeast for bragging rights amongst the Arcade Fires and Interpols. Enter Apollo Sunshine, labeled a “band to watch” by Alternative Press, and one looking to throw a nod back to the city that honed the Pixies.

The Boston quartet’s self titled sophomore release takes inspiration from the most extreme sources – Ween, Pink Floyd, Flaming Lips and The Kinks. The first song “Flip!” jumps around from action film soundtrack to structured rock song, and then back again, proving no rules apply to Apollo Sunshine. Add a double necked guitar/bass combo, two-hand taped-together keyboards/samplers, and a lead singer that plays bass with his left hand and keyboard with his right hand while singing and it’s true, this band calls its own shots. Apollo Sunshine churns out southern rockers like (“Lord”), slow country dirges (“Phone Sex”) and nostalgic garage rockers (“Phony Marony,” “Magnolia”) with other twisted novelties wrapped in. Although the flow of the album is out of whack, it just comes with the territory. Apollo Sunshine brings new meaning to forty minutes of fun, as this effort spins like a record collection spilled apart and molded into one frivolous act. Get on board Boston, Apollo Sunshine is about to deliver.