Alive is English alt-rock band Glass Caves’ debut album, and having been disappointed by so many instances of infantile acts these days that merely resemble watered-down version of better artists in their genre; Glass Cave’s sound, with their sharp freshness that makes them hard to pin down, is very much welcome.
On the first listen they sound a bit like U2, only heavier and without the annoying spiritual overtones and pretentious sentimentality. Alive almost feels like as if it’s on a quest to reconcile and condense all types of rock into one album, and it works surprisingly well.
The opening of ‘Go,’ the first track on the album, makes you wonder if you’ve put on a BFMV record by accident. But as songs progress, the hard rock tones in them also gradually trail off, gradually and smoothly transitioning to another realm with elements of highly melodic verses, uplifting choruses and falsettos. All of these weave together intricately into a patchwork of songs that give off regular bursts of exuberant energy and are makes you feel..er, Alive.
But be warned: if you hated U2’s latest album, you probably won’t be much of a fan of a heavier version of them either. You might want to stay away from this.
[Karen Cheung – @karenklcheung]
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