Can Alphabeat really do any wrong? After a critically-acclaimed debut album and hordes of UK youngsters following their every move, devout followers would have wondered what the hell Alphabeat could possibly follow-up with…
And ta-dah, today their new album "The Beat Is" hits the shelves and unsurprisingly, it's even better than their first album if I'm speaking frankly – and I am. With an obvious shift from uplifting thunderous pop to a more sophisticated electro-pop and 90s retro sound, Alphabeat have effortlessly carved out a new direction for themselves and have in fact become "the quintessential pop-stars of 2010".
Whilst paying homage to legendary 90s house rhythms and blending it with a current relevant pop sensibility, "The Beat Is" is probably the first album of 2010 that I will need to listen to every day for quite some time – until I wear it out. Lead singer Stine Bramsen has such an elegantly powerful voice that lends itself so naturally to the disco-inducing beats that she most certainly has become a new Loleatta Holloway for this decade – a diva with a big big iconic voice.
Best moments on "The Beat Is" you ask? If "DJ" isn't released as a single, then it surely is a crime against pop as it's easily the most uplifting track on the entire album. "Heart Failure" is quite the electro-pop stomper whilst opening title track "The Beat Is" sets the incredible tone for the entire album with it's cool synth-lines and cooler-than-cool beat breaks. There is no denying that "The Spell" has every one under it's charm and "Chess" is an interesting little track which evokes quite the shoulder shimmy with it's cat and mouse storyline. "The Right Thing" is a slice of pop perfection which is best served hot, and piping hot is how it's delivered.
Seeing Alphabeat open for Lady Gaga too last weekend was a true treat. Proof positive that their music has got that something special that pure pop lovers worldwide can truly appreciate. It won't be but a matter of time before Alphabeat become major celebrities outside Europe – their music has such a great broad appeal to it and anyone from the tweeny pop lover to the biggest of pop snobs can identify with their brilliant and downright movable pop magic that the band emulates.
"The Beat Is" is out now.
Read EQ's interview with Alphabeat's Stine right here.