Good Stuff EP

The first thing you notice about Alphastates’ Good Stuff EP is the attention to detail. Every sound has been meticulously, lovingly crafted; every twist, turn, modulation and crescendo plotted with extreme precision, and, in places, to startling effect (namely the sultry of ‘Good Stuff’, punctuated by spiky guitars and light, airy vocal harmonies). They do get a little self interested on ‘Top Of The World’, a tune blessed with an incredible vocal line but weakened somewhat by its lack of direction. Soundscapes come to the fore on ‘Freewheelin’’, but the tack changes for the better the second ‘Addicted’ kicks in - a dark electro disco dancefloor pop gem accompanied by the lusty vocals of Catherine Dowling. So the verdict: when allowed to fester in their own musical juices, Alphastates lose sight of the bigger picture. But when they pare it back, they’re none short of brilliant.