Alright the Captain - Contact Fix
Contact Fix is the second album from 'math rock' three piece Alright The Captain. For this band though, that genre label feels a bit limiting. Sure there are the complex rhythms and shifting time signatures, and the angular melodic guitar chords, one expects to hear in math rock. However, Alright The Captain are much more diverse in their musical approach, with jazz, disco (yes you read it right disco!), and electronica influences in the mix.
A good place to start on the album to illustrate this, is the track Ben and Barbara (a quirky title for sure). The track sets off in disco-funk fashion, with the rhythms and the overlaying vocoder type sounds, creating that classic Manchester industrial funk sound, epitomised by bands like A Certain Ratio. It's a great sound, and things get even quirkier, as the guitar veers between cascading prog like notes and heavy riffing. At points in the song, a voice drenched in doubt and questioning, declaims in Frank Zappa type fashion "I am happy here". A simply inspired and great track!
Toaster Mouse, the opening track, has some great electronic keyboard fills, providing an intriguing counterpoint to the jagged guitar melodies, creating a jazz-rock type atmosphere. The drumming is just amazing, effortlessly leading the other players through complex time signatures, but with a jazz creativeness in how the kit is utilised. Not forgetting some great walking bass lines. Just superb!
HBT shows what a really creative musical vision the band are putting in place. It starts off with some beautiful lilting guitar, which is then crossed over by some heavy bass effects styled keyboards. The guitar flourishes that emerge at the midpoint of the song are fast and furious, and have echoes of the frenetic jazz-rock fusion of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. This is music that demands your attention and serious listening.
There is also a sort of playful quirkiness to the music, it is impossible to resist. This is best epitomised on the final track French for Gnome. A pretty mad spoken introduction, leads into cross cutting guitar and keyboards that jump all over the place musically, daring you to follow. It's a lot of fun.
At one point on the album, a voice says 'Its f**king freezing'. It's a nice motif for a record that conjures up an atmosphere of beautiful bleakness. Alright The Captain deserve to outgrow the 'math rock' tag, which is too limiting for music with this breadth of vision. Don't let this album pass you buy.
Room Thirteen is about to catch up with the band playing in Glasgow, so look out for the live review, coming soon.