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Product Description
Review
Looking back at the acclaim lavished upon Alphabeat’s debut album, This Is Alphabeat, in 2008, one wonders if those responsible for this platter of past-perishable pop mimicry, these clichéd regurgitations of ubiquitous motifs, are indeed the same Danes who wowed admirers of sparkly melodies and insatiable hooks only a single springtime equinox ago.
The Lady might be Gaga for them, taking them out as UK support on her Monster Ball jaunt, but with The Beat Is… – titled The Spell in their homeland – Alphabeat seem certain to alienate first-album acolytes. Not through any distinct diversion from the formula that worked so well first time, but because this collection repeats the same tricks but neglects to capture any joie de vie whatsoever.
Pocket-sized dynamo Stine Bramsen can still belt it out, and on occasions the interplay between her and male vocalist Anders SG works effectively. DJ finds the pair exchanging lines atop a bouncy-enough backbeat without falling into the trap of trying to out-perform each other, and recent single Hole in My Heart rides an enjoyably retro – its similarity to Black Box has been noted elsewhere, astutely so – piano-house refrain, even if Stine’s claim that she “got inside” her lover is more threatening than it is tender.
But the missteps outweigh any flashes of innate pop ability to a substantial extent. Chess meanders aimlessly, dragging its high-heels every inch of the way, and while the computerised effects on both Stine’s and Anders’ vocals are novel the first or second time you hear them, come the realisation that this is the group’s sole shtick this time out, the instances soon grate. Heart Failure might suit the gullets of a group as comparatively soulless as Girls Aloud, but compare it to Fascination and it’s apparent just how much energy and enthusiasm has bled from this band.
Always Up With You is a hit in waiting, should a dance-minded producer step in to exaggerate its floor-filling elements – like Hole in My Heart it exhibits piano-house overtones enough to trigger flickers of nostalgia amongst certain listeners. But it’s a rare instance of this album raising its pulse and stepping out of a flat-sounding comfort zone. With its makers performing like they’d rather be elsewhere, compositions finalised by playing percentages rather than the passion that fuelled their debut, The Beat Is… represents a nadir for a group once heralded as purveyors of the very brightest pop. --Mike Diver
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CD Description
Denmark popsters Alphabeat return with The Beat Is, the follow up to 2008's top five album This Is Alphabeat. The second record from the London-based six piece is chock full of pop songs including the singles "The Spell" and "Hole in My Heart".
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This Album is quite different in style and production to their debut one. However, although I do miss hearing the unashamed optimistic and bright sound of the band which was their first album, this new one has better production and more consistent style within the list of tracks. That's neither good nor bad, it's just the way it is. So as a result you do get an album with a sense of cohesion, whereas the first one was a more eclectic collection.
There is still that unmistakable Alphabeat groove to the tunes and harmonies, even if there is a fuller production, and believe it or not, it does actually gain from repeated listening.
Warmly recommended, but I held one star back for the fact that I do miss the cute optimistic Alphabeat that burst onto the scene a couple of years ago.
There is still that unmistakable Alphabeat groove to the tunes and harmonies, even if there is a fuller production, and believe it or not, it does actually gain from repeated listening.
Warmly recommended, but I held one star back for the fact that I do miss the cute optimistic Alphabeat that burst onto the scene a couple of years ago.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is not a biased view in any way shape or form, but I have been a fan of alphabeat since the beginning for there cheesy pop tunes, there first album was really good but this takes ALPHABEAT to another level (UP)....Its such a feel good album...every song is brilliant!!
THE BEAT IS - Great intro and beat vocals sound brilliant....4/5
THE SPELL - First single from the album...Great song, great chorus, such a feel good song..Love the club remixes too that are flying about.deffinitly should of charted higher than top 20. 5/5
DJ - 3rd single to be released, ''I could be dancing, I could be dancing all night'' LOVE IT...great tune, again is such a feel good song..look out for the Video soon. 5/5
HOLE IN MY HEART - 2nd single to be released - VERY 90's sounding and such a different sound for ALPHA, great video to match a great song..sounds very different to music out there today. 5/5
CHESS - This is my least faveourite track on the album..if you have heard this song, dont base your opinion of the album on it. 2/5
HEART FAILURE - Love the sounds of the heart beating in the background :-D great song and great melody
HEATWAVE - sounds like such a summer song, great for driving round to, brilliant lyrics and again...YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS!!! 5/5
ALWAYS UP WITH YOU - Instant dance filler - amazing beat, deffinitly 1 of my favourites on the album :-D ''Uhh OOoo..Im always up with you'' T-U-N-E!! 5/5
Q&A - such a different sounding song to anything they've done before, really like this one..Its a grower.. 4/5
THE RIGHT THING - Deffinitly 1 another 'dance' fave of mine on the album....''If this is not the right thing, the right thing..Why do we stay ba-by''
TILL I GET ROUND - BONUS TRACK - BRILLIANT SONG TO FINISH THE ALBUM OFF
I would recomend you to buy this album if you like Alphabeat songs that they have released, but also if you like pop/dance music....Great buy!!!
well dont alphabeat :-D BEST ALBUM OF 2010 up to now for me..
THE BEAT IS - Great intro and beat vocals sound brilliant....4/5
THE SPELL - First single from the album...Great song, great chorus, such a feel good song..Love the club remixes too that are flying about.deffinitly should of charted higher than top 20. 5/5
DJ - 3rd single to be released, ''I could be dancing, I could be dancing all night'' LOVE IT...great tune, again is such a feel good song..look out for the Video soon. 5/5
HOLE IN MY HEART - 2nd single to be released - VERY 90's sounding and such a different sound for ALPHA, great video to match a great song..sounds very different to music out there today. 5/5
CHESS - This is my least faveourite track on the album..if you have heard this song, dont base your opinion of the album on it. 2/5
HEART FAILURE - Love the sounds of the heart beating in the background :-D great song and great melody
HEATWAVE - sounds like such a summer song, great for driving round to, brilliant lyrics and again...YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS!!! 5/5
ALWAYS UP WITH YOU - Instant dance filler - amazing beat, deffinitly 1 of my favourites on the album :-D ''Uhh OOoo..Im always up with you'' T-U-N-E!! 5/5
Q&A - such a different sounding song to anything they've done before, really like this one..Its a grower.. 4/5
THE RIGHT THING - Deffinitly 1 another 'dance' fave of mine on the album....''If this is not the right thing, the right thing..Why do we stay ba-by''
TILL I GET ROUND - BONUS TRACK - BRILLIANT SONG TO FINISH THE ALBUM OFF
I would recomend you to buy this album if you like Alphabeat songs that they have released, but also if you like pop/dance music....Great buy!!!
well dont alphabeat :-D BEST ALBUM OF 2010 up to now for me..
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The Danes did good again! 2008's 'This Is Alphabeat' was a perfectly
pleasant pop gem. (listening to 'Facination' still makes my tail twitch!)
With their new album 'The Beat Is...' the spell remains unbroken.
This is bright, shiny, unpretentious good-time music.
The formula is a simple one and all the better for it.
With the likes of the bouncy-castle brio of 'DJ' to contend with I need
little more convincing of its value in a living, breathing, dancing world!
Of the eleven tracks in the collection there is not a bad egg in the box.
Strong melodies, addictive four-to-the-floor beats and good-natured
lyrics bring a big smile and not a little soul to a genre that can
sometimes feel more than a tad chilly and academic.
This is pristine electro-pop unafraid to wiggle its hips and strike a pose.
Crikey! Give a listen to 'Heart Failure'. A certain 70s/80s Swedish band
would have been more than proud to have this little gem on their CV!
'Heat Wave' is another scintillating stormer of a song.
Stine Bramsen delivers one of her very best vocal performances on the album.
She really rips into it with honest, unbridled abandon!
If this track doesn't make you want to fling yourself about in a state
of wild delirium then the world might as well end tomorrow!
'Q & A' slows things down for a while. A simple but delightful tune
given life, once again, by Ms Bramsen's perfectly focussed voice.
'The Right Thing' is just what it says on the label. It's SO right
that it's hard to imagine how it could have been made any better!
Final track 'Til I Get Around' struts its stuff in a groove sharp enough
to cut star-shaped holes in the darkest of night skies! Hold that thought!
'The Beat Is...' has the word HAPPY stamped all the way through it.
I found something to love in every moment.
Highly Recommended.
pleasant pop gem. (listening to 'Facination' still makes my tail twitch!)
With their new album 'The Beat Is...' the spell remains unbroken.
This is bright, shiny, unpretentious good-time music.
The formula is a simple one and all the better for it.
With the likes of the bouncy-castle brio of 'DJ' to contend with I need
little more convincing of its value in a living, breathing, dancing world!
Of the eleven tracks in the collection there is not a bad egg in the box.
Strong melodies, addictive four-to-the-floor beats and good-natured
lyrics bring a big smile and not a little soul to a genre that can
sometimes feel more than a tad chilly and academic.
This is pristine electro-pop unafraid to wiggle its hips and strike a pose.
Crikey! Give a listen to 'Heart Failure'. A certain 70s/80s Swedish band
would have been more than proud to have this little gem on their CV!
'Heat Wave' is another scintillating stormer of a song.
Stine Bramsen delivers one of her very best vocal performances on the album.
She really rips into it with honest, unbridled abandon!
If this track doesn't make you want to fling yourself about in a state
of wild delirium then the world might as well end tomorrow!
'Q & A' slows things down for a while. A simple but delightful tune
given life, once again, by Ms Bramsen's perfectly focussed voice.
'The Right Thing' is just what it says on the label. It's SO right
that it's hard to imagine how it could have been made any better!
Final track 'Til I Get Around' struts its stuff in a groove sharp enough
to cut star-shaped holes in the darkest of night skies! Hold that thought!
'The Beat Is...' has the word HAPPY stamped all the way through it.
I found something to love in every moment.
Highly Recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Average second album
the first album was gold so following it up was always going to be a challenge, still this has some good tracks but was always going to be inferior to the brilliant this is... Read more
Published 13 months ago by ekb
The Beat Is 90s & The 80s Has Passed Away-& That's Why The Beat Is ON!
So many desperados fo today do nothing but recreate (steal, pilage) that wonderful 80s synth-heaven dream, for that's the only way they can complete something they've no idea how... Read more
Published 16 months ago by ScottPaul ScottPaul
Don't listen to the pro reviews!
Just a brilliant album the clips don't do it justice. It's even brighter and more colourful than their debut, but very focused without the calculation. Read more
Published 17 months ago by A. Oswana
Fab pop
Fun upbeat album. Not quite as immediate as the first one. The tunes are there. The alphabeat posse appear to have found there older sister's record collection from the late 80's... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Oddboy
Its so good
I really Love this album, it it there best so far. I most say that the girl sing does not sound like she is danish :) The whole feeling of the songs is good. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Noush
The Beat is.... AWSESOME!!!
Alphabeats new album boats a more ninetees dance feel rather than there previous cheesy Euro pop album. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Marnie Park
great pop album
i seem to have come to Alphabeat late but a friend of mine introduced me to 'DJ' and on the strength of that I downloaded the album. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Andrew Cowie
"The Beat Is... Very Good"
as a new person who likes alphabeat, i think this is a great second album for one of only a number of pop bands.
if you like electro-pop, pop or alphabeats theme of music. Read more
if you like electro-pop, pop or alphabeats theme of music. Read more
Published on 7 April 2010 by Shawn
The beat is Alphbeat
I think it is a pile of pant but my 16 year old son seems to like it. He must have got his taist in music from his mum.
Published on 5 April 2010 by Rob H
Alphabeat's new cd!!!
Love this cd! The shipping and customer service were excellent! Thanks for a great product and buying experience!
Published on 28 Mar 2010 by Stephen M. Cannon
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