Alpha is a Mellow band - I have listened to this album and the band s, Come from Heaven. This album has some deeper electronic effects than Come from Heaven. The songs are accessable. If you are familiar with trip hop bands like Mescalito, you may find some interesting simularities to One Path in a Million. The lead female singers voice is inviting. The whole album is mellow along the lines of Kreuder & Dorfmeister. It is a fine spin for a mellow, not too out there, lounges background music. I believe this band is capable of better, but I like this better than Come from Heaven. Give it a spin and you decide!
If you don t have it... - then you re not a true music fan. You will not be disappointed with your purchase. A Beautiful, Sprawling, Masterpiece!!!!
It s Ok....... - there are a few good songs on it, but I m glad I have it in my collection anyway..........
quite a unique sound, not to mention good - Very intelligent music, something that may require a few listens in order to appreciate some of it. Perhaps a couple of the songs are a bit too ambient for me, but on the other hand, a couple are so beautiful, even melodically haunting, that they compensate for the weaker ones. If you like world music, say Dead Can Dance (though Alpha is not similiar to them at all) you would probably appreciate this CD for its distinctiveness and artistry.
It s good, real good, but... it s missing something. - The Impossible Thrill is more of the same laid-back Bacharach-styled trip-hop that was found on ComeFromHeaven. Unfortunately, it s missing some of the magic that made their first LP so wonderful. The first thing one hears upon puching play is that Alpha has made the switch to live instruments, no more relying on samples. It has mixed results. Don t get me wrong, I d much prefer live instruments over samples, but when it actually takes substance away from a song, you know there s a problem. The first song attempts to grab you in a please, please listen to me sort of way. In a way it works, but by the end of track two most will have lost interest. Sure, some songs are more structure, with clearer melodies and changes, but other songs just go off the deep end, staying unpredictable and nothing more than layer after layer of sound. Another minor complaint is that some of the vocals, aside from Martin Barnard who will always be mind-blowing, have lost their luster.But for all of my complaints, I was floored on occasion. When The Impossible thrill shines, it soars. The middle of the CD is wonderful, as are the first and last track, and it was an utter joy to hear Daddy G of Massive Attack lending his pipes to the jazzy song Wishes. Equally stunning is Martin Barnard s performance on Dim, possibly the best track on the CD.So, all in all, The Impossible is a tad disappointing, at times brialliant, at times confusing, but most definitely satisfactory for a fan of the band or the genre (although Alpha are truly in a genre of their own). Remember: three stars means GOOD! NOT BAD! (1=bad, 2=fair, 3=good, 4=excellent, 5=perfect)