Tag: 2013

“Hat’s off to you if you can remember the debut album by Stoke’s Alfa 9, it was way back in 2005 and didn’t see much action outside of their dedicated fanbase. There’s every chance you’ll be hearing them for the first time now that they’ve finally got their act in gear and put out a follow-up, ‘Gone To Ground’. Perhaps the title reflects what they did during the past seven years. So, if we cut to the chase, we can say with some confidence that if you like guitar-pop of just about any kind then you’re in for a real treat and you may just have found the album that will soundtrack your summer, as light beams down from many of these songs and the guitars are pure retro bliss. The obvious comparison would be to The Byrds, so naturally we can add Teenage Fanclub in there too, along with Big Star and current favourites The See See. We start in a psychedelic 60s wonderland with the exotic ‘El Morocco’, a track that presumably fell off the end of the Nuggets compilation and was picked up by one of these guys. It’s not the only song to evoke that jangly, sunkissed vibe. ‘Seedless’ is a woozy wonderland that would make Brian Wilson smile (pun intended), ‘Into The Light’ is simply classic sunshine-pop, as is ‘Green Grass Grows’ which is prime, mid-period Teenage fanclub, and the melodies keep flowing on ‘Petty Lies’. There’s a lazier, almost country feel to ‘Birling Gap’ with its slide guitar, but it’s still embellished with succulent harmonies, and these same harmonies are found on the reflective title-track. ‘Nothing Feels’ is also a more pensive song but it still sparkles. ‘Old Man Blues’ breaks from the format slightly, but it’s still rooted in the 60s. This time they’re having a go at bluesy garage-rock, turns out they’re a dab hand at it too. They keep that extra bit of grit for ‘Mad Song’, essentially a tune borrowed from the heavier end of the beat explosion. There’s a deeper psych groove found on ‘The Castle’ before they round things off nicely with more jangle-pop in ‘Ferry Song’. Right, that’s the music sorted, now we just need some sun”

“Warm sentiments for a cold climate. Harmony drenched, folk-rock jangle from Newcastle-Under-Lyme’s finest.”

Who… Busying themselves with ridding Stoke’s reputation as the citywhose musical legacy is in giving the world pop idiot Robbie Williams, Alfa 9are hellbent on bringing back that ’60s summer of love vibe to the Britishrock scene. Psyched out guitar harmonies and soaring vocals with the mostdelicate of Beatles-esque harmonies are the order of the day and their newalbum ‘Gone To Ground’ (produced by Myles Clark who worked with TheWho) is set to make summer come early.

Hailing from… Newcastle Under Lyme, Stoke.

Hot on the heels of… Stone Roses.The Byrds, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones

How they roll… Dig out your paisley shirt, Alfa 9 are bringing back theWest Coast folk rock stylings of Dream Syndicate and Rain Parade, andmixing it with a dose of pride in England’s own alternative rock scene, but think Stone Roses and Ride, not the Gallagher Brothers! The result is alush, addictive album that will make Alfa 9 one of the shining lights in the UK’s contemporary music scene.

Horizons… ‘Gone To Ground’ is out on March I Ith on the retro-friendlylabel Blow Up Records. Latest single ‘Seedless’ is out now.

Second album of ’60s/’70s folk/country rock from Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Any disciple ofThe Byrds (including yours truly), and said band’s jangly ’60sfolk/pop will welcome this with openarms.That sound mixed with The Stone Roses and The Coral is what you haveon ‘Gone To Ground’.The long-awaited(seven-year hiatus) follow-up tocritically-applauded first outing’Then WeBegin’, this offering returns to classicshort and breezy 1965 evoking, richly-harmonised rock and it’s an accomplished and perfectly focussedalbum.Whilst the love of Clarke, Crosby,McGuinn and the various Byrds spin-offacts is evident throughout — creating asublime mix of 12-string led summer-breeze pop (Into the Light’,’GreenGrass Grows’) and up-tempo rockers (‘El Morroco’,’Seedless’ and ‘Old Man Blues’) – the overall result is an outstanding melodic soundtrack oforganically-created, skilfully crafted songs.

8/10

The Stoke songsmiths are back after a six-year haitus, and it’s been well worth the wait…