Silver Apples - Clinging to a Dream

  by Paul Waller

published: 6 / 9 / 2016

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Many moons ago when I had discovered Can and was delving into the depths of early experimental rock music I was recommended the debut Silver Apples album that came out way back in 1968 by a fellow Can nut. It’s an album that, although I never loved, I would always return to whenever I wanted to listen to something shall we say "different". I always found their self-titled record to contain a skewed alternative to psych rock and pop. No matter when I played the thing it always sounded refreshing, normal for the genre yet at odds with it at the same time. ‘Clinging to a Dream’ is the first new full-length since 1998 but more than that it feels like a complete reinvention. If you presented this to me as a new album by an upcoming new artist I would totally believe you and would never connect it to Silver Apples. ‘Colors’ is maybe the only track that sounds like it may have been birthed towards the end of the 60s. The spoken words roll over the skewed fairground music and it reeks of psychedelic drugs but elsewhere Silver Apples sounds fresh and modern as hell, even though that’s probably due to the fact the whole music world celebrates retro so hard right now. Opener ‘The Edge of Wonder’ is lightweight and delicate but a complete delight. Repeat listens on my headphones pick out strange sounds and flavours that appear to be mixed differently every time you hear them. Later on in the track listing the driving drum beat in ‘Fractal Flow’ is a touch reminiscent of Gary Numan’s early grasps with technology, mixing the organic with the electronic. It’s dare I say it fun. And that is the key here…Silver Apples have always come across as so serious, but with ‘Clinging To A Dream’ they sound as if they are exploring electronic art rock for the very first time with vintage gear and modern production techniques. I defy any listener to take the second half of ‘Nothing Matters’ seriously. They are having a laugh. The great thing is that it’s not at our expense. They are reveling in delight at the creativity they display here. It is proper mad in places and totally my album of the month.

Track Listing:-

1 The Edge Of Wonder
2 Missin You
3 Colors
4 Nothing Matters
5 The Mist
6 Susie
7 Fractal Flow
8 Drifting
9 Charred Fragments
10 Concerto for Monkey and Oscillator
11 The Rain
12 The Edge of Wonder

Band Links:-

http://silverapples.com
https://www.facebook.com/simeonocoxe

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