There's something a little
frightening about bands which have an almost unhealthy obsession
with early 80s synth-pop, perhaps one of the most derided musical
periods of the last century. Nevertheless it's testament to
Alpinestars' musical ability that - for the most part - they
manage to avoid accusations of cheesiness. Their nearest
contemporaries must be Komputer, a kind of hobby band, which
produced a similarly charming collection of Kraftwerk pastiches.
Just to prove that they aren't totally about Teutonic tunes, 'You
Rescue' is almost folksy in comparison and 'Arianne' and 'Green
Raven Blonde' could have easily appeared on Air's 'Moon Safari'
album in a parallel universe; guitars feature on several tracks,
dispelling any myth that Alpinestars are rock philistines. When
all is said and done, though, the best tracks here are the ones
which bear the hallmark of their German musical forefathers, of
which 'Hyper Hyper', 'Keep It Coming', 'Cresta La Wave' and the
closing, icy charm of 'Complete Control' are the best.