Review of The Alps's CD "Untitled"

The Alps: Untitled

Stuttering, swaggering tones with a touch of denim and a hint of suede.

If the laidback coolness of the persistent cropped chords belonging to 'The Shining' don't get you, playing the 'Guess The Next Lyric' game will. You see, it sort of goes along the lines of: "You're the shining, you're the shining, you're the spark, you're the sparkle, you're the sparkle in the dark". Clever, huh? It's repetition and rhyme with a twist, which makes it neither annoying nor dull, but really quite fun in a roundabout way (or maybe I just don't get out enough.) Looking like a nice, clean-cut bunch of suave blokes, they make rock to sip things to. Sort of 'Cocktail Rock'. Ooooh, in fact, can I get a copyright on that please? 'Cocktail Rock'. Tee-hee!

'Wake Up Call' has a scatty, slippery quirkiness as it slides into its chorus unexpectedly, with a piano kiltering (yes, I am just making words up now) back and forth, which is something that never goes amiss. Unpredictable and interesting.

I hate to do it, and I'm sat here trying to come to terms with the thought that I'm going to commit this atrocious piece of unimaginative description once again, but final track 'As It Comes' invites an unhealthy amount of comparisons to a certain shaggy-haired, hooded-eyed, the-drummer-has-a-film-star-girlfriend NY band. That's The Strokes, folks. Didn't wanna do that, but the guitars really HAVE been stripped from the same womb as practically anything from 'Is This It' or 'Room on Fire'. On the other, much more favourable, hand, The Alps grab this sound by the scruff of its scrawny neck and slap a new tray of make-up all over its face, with Daniel Heptinstall's slightly intoxicated, seductive and shiver-inducing vocals prowling about over the top of it like a rampant tiger.

Give it a bit more elbow grease, lads, and you'll be climbing, er...Alps as fast as you can ski down 'em.

• www.planetofthealps.com

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