Alphanaut, as you’ve probably already guessed, is a space rock band, but what makes the Alphanaut sound special is that the music doesn’t seem to flow from King Crimson or Pink Floyd. It’s more Lou Reed and Bowie (and even INXS and Spandau Ballet), with electro accents. And content-wise, it’s far more idealistic than cosmic. For example, a song about trouble in the world, “More Than I Do,” asks “You understand this more than I do/Comprehend this more than I do/So please explain to me/Why they are my enemy.” Yeah, it’s a little ham-handed, but the sentiment is right–and far too uncommon in modern indie music, which tends to avoid global topics in favor of interpersonal ones.
The music is crystal clear–exceptionally well produced–and all of the material is the product of one man, Marc Alan. That can be good, but it can also lead to a singleness of message and sound that would benefit from group participation. The album is clearly a labor of love: Mr. Alan’s vision, actualized for your ears. Towards the end, the album moves away from standard song structure and gets experimental. This material, like the spacejam break during a Dead show, is actually quite interesting. In your album tastes, below, I offer one song from each “part” of the album.
