Review of Nine Black Alps's CD "Everything Is"

Nine Black Alps: Everything Is

Nine Black Alps are the latest in the long line of bands to be adorned with that oft used title 'The Next Nirvana' but for anyone who is now hearing band names such as Silverchair, Puddle of Mudd and Bush, fear not. NBA safely put paid to the curse of being labelled pretenders to the crown. The clipped guitar opening to 'Cosmopolitan' explodes into a bruising uppercut of guitar distortion while Sam Forrest screams his disaffected Generation-X lyrics. 'Not Everyone' witnesses Sam roar in that addictive, broken voice "Not everyone deserves a son / Not everyone is hard to love / Not everyone can turn you on" and almost trick you into thinking you're listening to Cobain.

There is some variety; the interweaving anaemic guitar lines of 'Unsatisfied' recall Interpol's maudlin anthems. Of the two acoustic numbers 'Behind Your Eyes' reveals a softer side to Marshall's roar, melancholic in a way reminiscent of Elliott Smith without coming close to being memorable. 'Intermission' is a country tinged offering which fails to rise above token effort.

Whilst not doing anything wrong, NBA are a rather safe interpretation of how the biggest band of the early nineties would sound with 15 years of music history behind them. All the elements are there;

- Sandpapered vocals. Check.
- Verses saturated in feedback. Check.
- Heavy but poppy powerchord riff in the chorus. Check.
- Disdainful, angry lyrics with more than the odd suicide reference. Check.

But as their choice of producer - Rob Schnapf (Foo Fighters, The Vines) - tells, NBA take the route of mainstream radio rock safety. As such, there's nothing wrong with 'Everything Is', but it doesn't attempt to do or say anything remotely original.

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