Nostalgic but slightly off, undeniably precious but with a rough around the edges flair, the music made by Denver’s Elephant 6 collective invites easy categorization. Though bands like Beulah, Of Montreal and The Music Tapes gained a devoted following amongst committed indie rockers tired of grunge’s juvenile racket it’s sometimes hard to listen to albums by groups like Olivia Tremor Control and Elf Power without feeling like there’s a certain amount of tongue and cheek insincerity lurking beneath the willfully naïve lyricism and self-consciously old fashioned production techniques that characterized the Elephant 6 sound. The Apples in Stereo, who made their reputation by slathering waves of warm distortion over classic British invasion song structures, are as vulnerable to this sort of criticism as any of their label mates, but Tone Soul Evolution is indisputably the album where the Apples state the case for the artistic legitimacy of their particular brand of art damaged pop, and the results are impressive. From the exuberant psychedelia infused chimes and faux British accents of “Seems So” to the melancholy instrumental “Coda,” Tone Soul Evolution is packed with inventive songwriting, groundbreaking production and the distinctive crunch and ready wit of a pack of die-hard Kinks worshippers. Though the Apples in Stereo would find greater commercial success later in their career, they never surpassed this outstanding effort.