When British indie rock revivalists Yuck released their self-titled debut in 2011, the record's aesthetic was frequently described (and dismissed) as nostalgic, even though the band's members were born around the same time their grungey source material was berthed. It's not surprising that they're friendly with the History of Apple Pie, a relentlessly perky London five-piece whose similar predilection for American indie oldies has also been painted as a nostalgia thing, though the blatant nature of their influences means the description suits them much better.
Out of View, their debut full-length, follows a series of well received singles, and appropriates the signature fuzzed-out rock sound of indie rock's golden years in much the same way as bands such as Best Coast and Real Estate recontextualized 60s guitar pop: as a vehicle for yearning for what they perceive to be simpler times. Only those who didn't live through the years documented in Our Band Could be Your Life would mistake them for a sepia-tinged period of innocence and carefree romance, but that's exactly how they're re-imagined by the History of Apple Pie on Out of View: The rush of pretty, feedback-heavy guitar and singer Stephanie Minn's girlish Miki Berenyi impression makes music from a complicated time into malt-shop material. Supposedly inspired by a friend who memorized the script to True Romance, an emblem of 90s cool if there ever was one, "You're So Cool" runs the "let's pretend we're married" conceit of the Beach Boys' "Wouldn't it Be Nice" through a shoegaze filter, for a dreamy effect that reinforces the song's wide-eyed fantasy of young love: "I woke up and everything's alright," Minn sings. "Remember the great day that we shared/ And the flower you gave me to put in my hair/ You're so sweet."
As if the History of Apple Pie wasn't already setting itself up for mockery with that doozy of a band name, there's clearly plenty on Out of View to inspire massive eyerolls if you have even an ounce of cynicism in your body. And yet the album works way better than it probably ought to, and that's almost entirely due to the songwriting. The History of Apple Pie's core members--Minn and her boyfriend, guitarist Jerome Watson-- originally launched the group as a bedroom pop project, releasing their songs via MySpace. Over the last few years, they've become expert at turning out prime indie rock ear candy: Catchy riffs come fast and furiously, and "Mallory" is probably the finest example. In just over four minutes, it delivers crunchy, swaggering guitar melodies, big, fat drums that cut through the fog of sugar-coated noise, and Minn's gooey "oh-oh-oh"s. "I Want More" supplements the formula with a swath of drones, "Long Way to Go" turns the volume down a fraction, and "Before You Reach the End" is a standard tripped-out closing number, with extra psychedelic guitar courtesy of the Horrors' Joshua Hayward, who also mixed the record.
It should probably go without saying that Out of View isn't a terribly deep or meaningful record. Whether the History of Apple Pie retains its charm over the long haul very much remains to be seen. But taken for what it is—a fluffy, animated unicorn flying joyfully to college-rock Pleasure Town-- Out of View is a nice 40-minute respite from reality.
