With Scandinavian electro-pop being all the rage, you might assume that Alpines come from the depths of some Norwegian glacier, feeding off the natural aura or something equally fantastical. Yet this enticing, ice cold duo are actually natives of the positively flat Kingston-upon-Thames. In their youth – this is not to say they are old – they’ve also been musically associated with what eventually became the incarnations of Mumford and Sons and Noah In The Whale, so the band certainly have good company. In March they were lucky enough to support Florence and the Machine, so the future looks pretty bright.
Alpines formed in 2010 and are comprised of Bob Matthews and Catherine Pockson and recent releases have shown a band on the rise, riding on the wave of the loosely termed ‘night-pop’ genre that has recently gained ground in the UK. With etheral, eerie echoes front and centre partly manufactured with Matthews’ synths and partly crafted through Pockson’s majestic voice, the band are bringing together a wide array of traits, ranging from Grimes to La Roux to produce a brand of energetic, slightly dark pop that still has the potential to appeal to the masses.
The band have already amassed three EPs – Night Drive was released in 2011, Cocoon (although technically one single and several remixes) later that year and most recently, Early Hours. An album was meant to be released this year, but as the band posted on their website, delays have meant the date has had to be pushed back to 2013. Their first song ‘Ice and Arrows’ was a smooth and polished introduction, with an elegant melody, buzzing, rolling synths and dynamic vocals. ‘Cocoon’ continues in a similar vein, supplemented by an urgent, heartfelt chorus. Material from Early Hours – which is available to listen to on Spotify and also as a ‘Name-Your-Price download’ – sees their experimental side get a fresh outing. In their most recent video release ‘You Got Me Wrong’ the band venture into a club beat and produce an emotive tune.
The band already has a great selection of material, including a number of well recieved remixes and several exquisite, arty, black and white music videos which one again present the duo as natural, despite the abundance and variety of production techniques. Check their Soundcloud page here, and keep a look out for their full release next year.
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A nicely written piece.