Alphaline - Electromagnetic Progressive Voyages Review PV058

Alphaline – Electromagnetic Progressive Voyages Review PV058

This album was released in the summer of 2024, so this review is well overdue, however I was unaware of the existence of this band as their music is more Prog adjacent than straight ahead Progressive Rock music, It is actually more of an indie / Psychedelic and electronic music release.

The band are from the south of England Reading and the home counties and they are a four-piece band with members Stu Crawford Browne on guitar and keyboards, Anne Emmerson on Bass Guitar, Joshua Rose on drums and finally Caroline Yardley on vocals.

The album has 10 track along with a bonus of White Fire (instrumental) and a 12-inch dj remix of What U Gonna Do .

So what’s it like? Well may you ask.

Read an as we unpack this somewhat different yet still worthy album.

The albums begins with Flatlining which is apparently about the pandemic and it has a suitably down beat and sombre tone to it, with some great guitar lines and a solid bass line, this is followed by Kind as strangers with has a more upbeat sound with great vocals from Caroline, it has a great rhythm guitar part plays chords and subtle synths in the background, I do like this track it has something about it, as does the brief guitar solo from Stu Crawford Browne, it’s one of the longer tracks too which gives it ample room to evolve into something really impressive. A second guitar breakages the song further along and makes a strong impression.

Billy and the infinite madness is next and again this has a great guitar rhythm part, shades of Texas in style and also in the vocals, the song is about Caroline’s husband and also about mental health which affected many during the pandemic. Thankfully this seemed to have been improving. A distorted guitar riff plays in the latter section which is powerful and set up the solo for the track, which is wonderfully underpinned by Anne’s powerful bass line, subtle when needed and bang on when required .

Samuel is next and this has an intricate guitar motif woven through it, this also has a great vocal from Caroline, very emotional and impassioned, this is about a relationship which questions its worth and value, this is a great track with lots of light and shade both musically and also lyrically. Another winning song.

Next is White Fire which is a slow burner of a track with a very upfront and inspired bass part along with a great guitar line that really works well. A heavier guitar part takes hold and the song returns to its earlier tones this is an impressive track by any standards, with the bass specially making a strong impact.

Dual is next with a jangly guitar part with added tremolo effects and the powering bass line driving the track forward, this really is another strong track with the guitar parts especially captivating and makes a great sound. The end part of this track is very dynamic and strong my favourite thus far.

Release follows again with jangly choral rhythms and a funky upfront bass part and looping keyboards and effects, a very strong vocal from Caroline on this one, this has a very indie vibe to it and a great funky bass part, it also has great atmospherics and a lot of space in the song which works well. Another highly impressive track. A great distorted guitar solo also makes its mark here.

What Cha Gonna Do is next and this has elements of electronic acts like The Chemical Brothers or The Prodigy, and also allows for some Psychedelic guitar tones to surface the bass is crucial to the sound here strong and muscular with a great guitar solo from Stu Crawford Browne this is my favourite song of the album, absolutely brilliant, I like Caroline’s snarling vocal here too, love the chorus too, exceptional.

Paper Cups is an intriguing song, speaking as it does of hardships and troubles, again the tremolo guitar sounds re-emerge to strong effect. It has a good guitar line to it, it talks of financial mistreatment and of the need for the perpetrator to pay for their crimes, it’s not a bitter song but certainly makes the point forcefully.

Deluded follows and this opens with a heavily treated guitar and synths and then a strong bass line. The guitar keeps adding extra parts and sounds really exciting and satisfying. This is about not been beaten down by someone who is deluded thinking they have the control in the relationship however they have been sussed out by the other party.

That’s the main part of the album apart from the bonus tracks, an instrumental version of white fire which shows the musical strengths of the band off wonderfully, you can see how theyhave worked the sound up to such a high standard.

Likewise the dj remix of What Cha Gonna Do has a very “modern” sound all drum and bass it does sound good but I prefer it in its original incarnation myself.

So there you have it an excellent album that rewards multiple playing and bodes well for this Prog adjacent outfit.

Info here: www.alphalineband.com