Consumer Guide Album

The Apples in Stereo: Tone Soul Evolution [Sire/Warp, 1996]
Robert Schneider's second pass at homemade Beatles conquers his embarrassment over how much he adores this stuff. Stripped of sonic camouflage, the songs are consistently pretty, fanciful, and slight, as clear as existential questions can be. Half a dozen ways he wonders whether he can lose himself forever in this music--and by so doing, find himself. You don't have to believe in harmony to grant him the right to try. A−