Astronomy for Dogs

Posted on March 28, 2007 by Brendan Morgan

Artist: The Aliens
Author: Brendan Morgan

The Aliens ” Astronomy for Dogs 2007 EMI

Arriving at a time when all that was left of 90s Britpop had been snorted up the Gallagher”s noses” it was never going to be an easy path for acclaimed Scottish oddballs The Beta Band. Losing founding member Gordon Anderson almost immediately to mental illness” the Betas valiantly soldiered on hoping to remedy British guitar music”s seemingly never”ending hangover.

Original cut”and”paste trickery and trippy folk”rock garnered glowing reviews for early Beta EP”s and a loyal fan base amassed for subsequent albums” but a lack of mainstream interest saw the band implode unspectacularly in 2004.
2007 finds Anderson fighting fit once more after almost a decade of psychiatric care. With Beta”Veterans John MacLean and Robin Jones solidifying new plans” the Edinburgh natives make a welcome return with something to offer Britpop Mk2 ” a scene increasingly resembling a hairdresser”s convention.

Down swoop The Aliens” a band not so much from another galaxy as from another era. All the space”cadet sampling of the trios previous incarnation lies firmly in tact” yet there is an urgency here that says The Aliens don”t fancy leaving Planet Earth anytime soon.

Opener “Setting Sun” gets proceedings off to a rollicking start” capturing the ecstatic peak of 70s psychedelia whilst still managing to bury blissful 60s Beatle”esque melody deep into the listeners mind. Anderson“s voice is a rare treasure” pitched somewhere between Jim Morrison“s bellow and Brian Wilson“s lush harmonies. Ending the track are hypnotic multi”tracked chants of “We are the Aliens“” almost willing the listener into embracing the acid”surf vibes.

“Robot Man” throws a dirty 80s funk synth into the mix while standout track “I am The Unknown” recalls the late Elliot Smith“s knack for keeping bitter”sweet 60s sounds relevant and contemporary.

John MacLeans electro noodlings take main stage in the albums midsection with Rox reprising the uplifting baggy sounds of screamadelica“era Primal Scream. It”s Madchester at its best ” monged”out keyboards” cosmic samples” and lurching bass lines “even bringing back OTT female backing vocals Shaun Ryder and co so often employed to great effect.

But as they say what goes up must come down” and the poignant string/piano arrangements of “She Don”t Love Me No More” Anderson sings “I was ten long years in a mental asylum” with unsettling tragic sincerity. Lyrically simple and sparse” the track is an understated and achingly beautiful personal document of Anderson”s lingering pain.

Its beyond this point the bands seemingly bottomless think tank runs dry” with uninspiring efforts “Glover” and “Honest Again” both failing to ignite fully. Happy Song“s upbeat pop quickly begins to grate while Caravan never quite leaves the halting site ” clocking in over 12 minutes of aimless experimentation.

A fine effort overall then” the trio have crafted an overwhelmingly catchy piece of genre hopping” with a healthy sprinkling of space dust on top for good measure. The Aliens have landed” expect an invasion very soon.

thealiens.musicblog.co.uk

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