By the sound of the prelude and the title track to this album, Alfa 9’s musical expedition shares pretty much the same co-ordinates as those mapped out by Pink Floyd in their journey to the heart of the sun.

And yet, while there certainly is no denying this Geordie quartet’s obvious Floydian tendencies, they don’t stop at simply paying tribute, nor do they pat themselves on the back for their ability to emulate and recreate. In the short time they have been together, they have impressively mapped out their own piece of sky in the scheme of ‘greater sounds’.

Interestingly, their bio name-checks Stone Roses and early Verve as initial inspirations, and this aspect makes its presence felt on the album, mainly in the more contemporary sounds of songs like Give Me Your Heart Again, Flasher and For Your Bones. These three songs in particular are standout tracks, reflecting different periods of modern British rock and balancing the more vintage feel of most of the other tracks on offer here.

The closing track proper, Birds & Flies, bridges the gap between the old and well… the more recent, a prolonged spatial jam with more than a touch of shoe-gazing depth that crowns Alfa 9’s not-quite-consistent yet imaginatively creative debut!

CD COURTESY OF Exotique