The History of Apple Pie: "You're So Cool"

All the signs of imminent stardom are there for History of Apple Pie: boy/girl lineup who share the same hairdresser, nerdy recollection of failed lo-fi bands, rainbow Atari t-shirts, and an even nerdier roll call of the band’s driving influences (special mention given to a boy at school who had memorized the True Romance screenplay). No time to go into the details of the Sicilian gene pool here, though: “You’re So Cool” swaps all hipster connotations for a three-minute slice of indie-rock; the kind so pure, scruffy, and sing-along it’s got newspaper rock hacks salivating. Already the Guardian and NME have got History of Apple Pie on their radar. The News of the World had a feature planned too, but declined when it was phone interview only.

Built on the Bilinda Butcher/Kevin Shields sound of front-persons Stephanie Win and Jerome Watson, History of Apple Pie have a fuzzy, delicious feel, but not one so fuzzy it bankrupts Creation Records and sparks off a twenty-year legacy. They also have drums—clear, audible drums! Playing with some borrowed Pixies riffs, the London five-piece dive straight into a mix of androgynous voices, surf nostalgia, and simple, three-chord delight.

Comparisons to Jay Jay Pistolet and the Drums stop there, as History of Apple Pie attempt something more exciting than harmonica solos and volleyball. Aslam Ghauri’s ukelele work gives the song a gap-toothed innocence, as do Watson’s guitar strains, and when Win sings “Remember the great day that we shared / You’re having so much fun / In the light of the sun / You’re so cool,” she sells the feeling of admiration without envy. This kind of purity might seem blasphemous for a band tipped for indie domination, but it makes for a great single, a flawless summer wake-up song and even better recipe for cakes. Buy a pre-cooked MBV base, ladle on the Pixies, add morello cherries, sorted.