Lovers 1 has Alpine washing gently over listeners, their music linking together bands as The Polyphonic Spree and The Flaming Lips. The patently different Lovers 2 links Disintegration-era Cure guitars with a haunting, Bjork-esque set of vocals. Hands is an early stand-out, with the instrumental and vocal sides of Alpine uniting to create something equally at home on pop rotation and indie blogs.
A Is for Alpine is an album that works perfectly as a collection of singles or as an unified effort. The band is able to insert a wide variety of influences and styles, which have the effect of luring in a wide collection of fans. Seeing Red is a perfect example of this, as Alpine caters to new wave, indie rock, alternative, and even electronic before the end of the song. All For One is the disc’s stand-out track. The twinkling guitar that operates behind the trancy, haunting vocals establishes an environment that is completely immersive. While the song ends at the three and a half minute mark, I feel that this epic composition will stick with listeners long after A Is for Alpine ceases.
A Is for Alpine ends with Multiplication, an effort which has a sedate sound that elicits both the new age era of the eighties and the alt-rock (Paula Cole) of the nineties. A Is for Alpine can be purchased at any well-stocked music store or online retailer; visit their website for more tour and band information. Here’s to hoping that Alpine has a long and storied career; their fresh take on music provides the perfect summer soundtrack.
Top Tracks: Lovers 1, In The Red
Rating: 7.8/10
Alpine A Is for Alpine Review / 2013 Votiv / 12 Tracks / http://www.alpineband.com /
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
Beats: Independent Music, PC Gaming & Peripherals, Consumer Tech, Webmaster Tools
Testing & Ethics: All hardware, software, and media reviews are conducted through hands-on evaluation in accordance with NeuFutur’s editorial independence standards; sponsored consideration is strictly excluded from editorial ratings.
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