Alphanaut – Out Of Orbit (CD)

“Timid Creature” is the first track on “Out Of Orbit”, establishing Alphanaut as an act that can skillfully move through a number of musical genres, eras, and influences. This means that the track touches upon acts like Depeche Mode, New Order, and even Lou Reed at points. There is a retro feel to “Out Of Orbit” that keeps individuals listening in, while Alphanaut takes complete care to make each track have a current feel. “Safe and White” is a bubbling, brooding track that gradually gains energy, allowing the chorus to bounce around listeners’ heads for months after the first listen.

Where a great many of the New Romantic acts had little replay value to their efforts, the intricate and nuanced arrangements of Alphanaut here ensure that listeners will continue to listen until that point where they uncover every one of Alphanaut’s twists and turns. “Never Been To Athens” may just be the tip of the mountain during “Out of Orbit”, as it shifts the paradigm slightly to allow for insertions of nineties (God Lives Underwater, Stabbing Westward) to the overall sound of the track, which also takes in a little Psychedelic Furs to taste. Where there seems on many albums to be a precipitous decline in quality as the album continues, “Out Of Orbit” continues to hit hard with each subsequent track. Of particular note during the late reaches of the album would have to be the penultimate track “Don’t Hide Away From The Sun”. “Don’t Hide Away From The Sun” has a drum and bass feel that represents a balancing between the organic and the electronic, with touches of a Marilyn Manson ensuring that listeners will have enough energy to finish up “Out Of Orbit”.

The album’s final track, “Satellites Crashing”, is a perfect end to a great album, in that it settles matters brought up during the disc, while spicing things up in a way that will keep listeners guessing what will happen on the next Alphanaut release.

Top Tracks: Never Been To Athens, Timid Creature

Rating: 8.6/10

Alphanaut – Out Of Orbit / 2010 MAD Music / 10 Tracks / http://www.planetalphanaut.com /s http://www.myspace.com/planetalphanaut