Alphamay - Twisted Lines

Just a few weeks ago, Steven wrote a review of Alphamay's single 'Your Pain' and gave it quite the mediocre score of 6 out of 10. And I agree with that review. I believe that the single actually highlighted one of the lesser tracks on the full album 'Twisted Lines' I am about to review.

'Twisted Lines' tries to do two things within the boundaries of one album release. Some tracks are a bit darker (even though the synthpop blip blop sneaks bast the dark facade) and the other half is true synthpop and electropop tunes. And that's the thing. The dark facade seems tacked on in some way for this synthpop band. Even though I'm quite sure it's not intended, it feels a bit forced and unnatural for them. The darker way of singing, heard in "Ease Your Pain", "No Man's An Island", "3:45" and so on, does not have any force behind it, so it just comes out flat and even though the songs have some sweet melodies and catchy tunes, you can't get past the vocals.

And I wonder why. If I was not already balding, I would have scratched the hair out from their roots. "Why?" you ask. Well, I'll tell you why! Simply because when they return to their synthpop roots, they sound pretty great. And the vocals suddenly get some force behind them. If it was a facade before, here is some singing from the heart, and that really come across your speakers.

And those are the tracks that are the highlights of the album. If you want to give German Alphamay a try, make sure you'll check out "Weak Philosophy", "Summer of '89", "Nightclub Nightmares" or "The Scepter Alliance". Those are some truly great synthpop tunes smelling like the 90's, the decade I first experience the sweet nectar of Synthpop. If you don't want to cure your bad day with some sweet poppy tunes, and want to head for a bit calmer sound, check out their ballad "Dreams In Colours" that ends this album.

If Alphamay's head did not try to run one way while their legs try to run another, they would have made a pretty great album, they have the potential to do so, in the ever so crowded synthpop scene. Instead, it ends up "only" being good, at least when you know what songs to pick.
Feb 07 2016