Albums of the Day

Apple Venus Volume 1 (1999) & Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2) (2000), by XTC: XTC waited seven years before releasing their first post-Virgin album, then quickly followed it with a second and promptly went on hiatus (perhaps permanent) again. For that reason, these two albums are linked by more than name, although they are quite different. Volume 1 is mostly acoustic, with lots of orchestral arrangements, and generally laid back and melancholy. Volume 2, by contrast, bursts out of the gate with a catchy electric guitar riff and never looks back, being hookier, rockier, and generally more up beat than its predecessor. Of the two I prefer the second, mostly because I think the band manages to straddle the fine line between clever and twee without crossing it (as they're wont to do sometimes). But I heartily recommend either.