Rating:

(Interscope, 2005) Everything Is, the full-length US debut of British rockers Nine Black Alps, is a rollicking affair, full of the power chords, powerful choruses, and sharp hooks the band displayed on their self-titled EP in 2005. In fact, Everything Is shares the two best tracks from that EP, the hook-laden “Shot Down,” and “Cosmopolitan,” which almost paints the band as a DC-area post-hardcore band before returning to their customary heavy Brit-rock. The majority of tracks here sound like a band raised on Nirvana and Blur (which they were), like a combination of Nevermind and Blur. However, not all the tracks sound like British grunge; the verses on “Get Your Guns” are vintage Queens of the Stone Age and the opening riff of “Unsatisfied” sounds like a slowed-down Killers guitar line. Sadly, the sum of the parts is less than the whole, on Everything Is. Although three fourths of the songs are vital, catchy rock, they tend to blur together eventually, and by the end of the album it’s hard to remember which was which, leaving only a couple highlights distinguishable by title. If Nine Black Alps were willing to alter their sound or songwriting a little more, they might be able to come up with a great album. Cross your fingers.

1.  Get Your Guns
2.  Cosmopolitan
3.  Not Everyone
4.  Unsatisfied
5.  Headlights
6.  Behind Your Eyes
7.  Ironside
8.  Shot Down
9.  Just Friends
10. Everybody Is
11. Intermission
12. Southern Cross

Buy album

– Kevin

This 35-beetsreview was posted on February 22nd, 2006. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.