Album Ark: 2x2

Alabama 3

Alabama 3 – Hits and Exit Wounds

Alabama 3 are loved for their superb live performances and merging of comedy with dance-able melodic style. The 18 tracks of Hits and Exit Wounds form a retrospective look at their 19 years and six studio albums together, proving they have remained creative and fresh in the studio as well as on stage.

The title is the perfect introduction to Alabama’s 3 mixed and ironic image: how many 'hits' can they boast on this best-of album, (apart from Woke up this Morning which is the theme to The Sopranos?) Although they may not have had many commercial hits, they remain a widely respected and adored group.

They have been described as a “punk rock, blues and country techno situationist crypto-Marxist-Leninist electro band”. This mix makes them unique and extremely uplifting; despite the content of the songs including murder, excessive drug use, heavy drinking, and violence. Every song’s lyrics are full of little surprises, and so if you give the attention to their messages, you will be rewarded and satisfied.

Woody Guthrie, for example, indicts nationalism and 'gung-ho patriotism', race-hate and global inequality. A poignant, meaningful song, yet still a toe-tapping enjoyable experience. It is also great to see that comedy still has a place in this collection. Hello… I’m Johnny Cash pays perfect tribute to the one and only Man in Black while the numerous references to his songs are uproarious. Their respect for Cash is blatant: they have also planned an unplugged gig at Brixton prison.

The album is evenly spread and irresistibly addictive. Once you’ve heard it once, you will want to hit repeat straight away. It is a bit long, although no track is superfluous, it takes a lot of commitment to get through it one sitting, (and that is even with Cocaine Killed Our Community and Bulletproof being omitted).

Alabama 3 are a sincere and superb band and Hits and Exit Wounds is a sign of their freshness in a time when music can seem mass-manufactured. They do not pander to the people: they create their own fantastical universe and invite us to come into it… I’m already there and loving it!

Jonathan Wilkes

Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours

Cut Copy

Cut Copy’s newly released album is unashamedly shiny, spangly Eighties disco mixed in a bit with modern melody. In Ghost Colours is flashing fuchsia sequins, shimmering sweepings of turquoise glitter and erratic earrings, but it has everything else as well: Patrick Wolf vocals, modern MGMT lyrics, Muse-style galactic intros, Pink Floyd pulsating pauses, as well as all the synthesisers and vocoders The Human League could ever have wanted.

Upbeat understated classics like Feel The Love, Cut There On The Ice and Far Away are fluorescent disco patches fastened together with the meandering, metallic 'Musey’ embroidery of dreamy trance interludes, We Fight For Diamonds and Silver Thoughts. The simple disco beats, with Kraftwerk lines running smoothly over the top, make you want to sway to the sad bits and jiggle to the fast ones.

In the dying moments of the disco that are In Ghost Colours…"These moments will last us forever” all the sparkly heads place themselves thoughtfully on the nearest swaying shoulders for Strangers in the Wind. And yet, Visions is just like Forever Young, with the dramatic drums of Hounds of Love and the odd Ghostbusters beat. The Australian band don’t miss out on anything: from the pop rock of Unforgettable Season to Hot Chip style percussion to beautiful Smiths-esque lyrics.

Songs like So Haunted start with bland Scouting for Girls guitar but the introduction of synths and dreamy lyrics “Only you and me” make this band different. Normally overlooked as dull and dancey, Cut Copy’s is an album that Vince Noir’s silver skintight catsuit would be proud of. Flop your hair over on one side, bat your electric blue mascara laden eyelashes and disco anyway…the fair bit of modern indie cool makes it OK.

Hollie Price

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