I can’t decide whether it’s the fact that Metal Book was so catchy, or that my laptop was just slightly too far away to hit ‘next’ that I listened to this about five times back to back last Saturday night. Regardless, it showed me that Alberteen really know a thing or two about this music stuff. The album sounds like it could have been plucked straight from the 60s, with a definite psych-rock feel to it, similar to that of The Revels or even Cream at some points.
The opening song ‘Metal Book’ is an instant hit – very catchy, with deep booming vocals being punctured in all the right places with driving electric guitar and drum beats. To be honest though, their next track ‘A Girl and A Gun’, which was released as a single earlier in the year, didn’t impress me so much. It just sounded like it was the soundtrack to a James Bond movie, I guess the clue was in the title…
There are a few tracks (‘Tamagotchi Landfill’ and ‘Waterloo Teeth’) that have a more accessible psych-pop sound and should definitely attract Alberteen some much deserved attention. ‘The Butcher’s Daughter’ is another one of my favourites, with a great blend of lyrics, melody and beat that sticks in your head for days.
With guest appearances from Toy Robinson (Super Furry Animals) and Mark Refoy (Spiritualized) as well as production by Mike Bennett (Ian Brown, The Fall) and constant airplay from BBC6 , Alberteen are definitely set to be big so keep your eyes peeled.