The Alternative Album 3

iAfrica.com
The Alternative Album 3
by Nils van der Linden
June 5, 2005

It starts with that instantly recognisable piano cascade of 'Clocks', the ubiquitous Coldplay song that launched a thousand imitators — at least five of which are on this very compilation.

Dominated by British rock acts (ranging from Chris Martin's global chart slayers to such no-namers as The Bees), the latest in the 'Alternative Album' series shows just how much of an influence Martin and co have had on the isle's rock music scene.

A quick spin of 'Shake Those Windows' leaves no doubt as to who influenced Athlete — or Starsailor, floating in with 'Silence Is Easy'.

Strangely though, for a compilation ostensibly created to showcase EMI's less-mainstream acts, neither band is represented by tracks from their most recent albums. The same fate befalls the magnificent Doves, peddling the admittedly stellar dreamscape 'There Goes The Fear' from three years ago, even as their new masterpiece hits the shelves.

And when combined with the likes of Blur's sublime but criminally overlooked 'Out of Time', Radiohead's menacing tirade '2+2=5' and Jane's Addiction's storming 'Just Because' (all from 2003), this collection begins to sound just a little dated. Add the Duran Duran flavoured celebration 'We Used To Be Friends' from the Dandy Warhols and the roar of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's 'Stop', and it's as if the past two years never happened.

Righting the time-line balance somewhat are the offerings from more recent (and somewhat lesser-known) additions to the EMI ranks — even though their sound is decidedly retro. The Concretes' 'You Can't Hurry Love' is the kind of Mamas and the Papas meet the Beach Boys flower-power pop that hippies would sing along to in their lime-green VW Kombi. 'Horsemen' from The Bees, meanwhile, evokes the jangly guitar rock of Led Zeppelin, detouring into the sunny, mellotron-augmented choruses of Motown.

New-on-the-block Antipodean rockers Steriogram bring the sound back to the 21st century with rap-punk combo 'Walkie Talkie Man', while the 22-20s serve up monster riffs and distorted vocals on '22 Days', which would sit comfortably on the latest Ash album.

Yet while these songs and bands all appeared in the past 12 months, none really set the world alight like Keane, Franz Ferdinand or Bloc Party did during the same time — which could explain the tracklisting that isn’t quite flavour of the month.

But instead of the current big names in British rock, this remarkably seamless compilation allows you to discover new bands you've never heard of; realise that Gomez ('Silence'), The Beta Band ('Assessment'), Graham Coxon ('Freakin' Out'), Supergrass ('Kiss Of Life') are still producing excellent music, even as audiences dwindle; and relive one or two massive hits all over again — like that bloody infernal 'Clocks'.