Alpine - A Is For Alpine

The angular meets the angelic with Alpine, a Melbourne-based band of art-pop Aussies who have delivered one of the most original and eclectic albums of the year. Melding the dual-harmonied, pixie-ish vocals of frontwomen and longtime friends Lou James and Phoebe Baker with brisk, scattered beats and some ridiculously inventive guitar play, Alpine turn their A Is For Alpine into a collection of songs so imaginative and just plain different that the effect is as mindbending as it is mesmerizing. A 2010 EP Zürich and some quirky videos laid the groundwork, creating buzz and garnering airplay but nothing quite prepared us for the brash and audacious full-length debut. More than just a collection of literate and quirky love songs, the album works as an album -- not an easy thing to do, actually -- shifting from one odd tempo to the next, darting down one musical alley only to double back mid-stream on a whole new rhythmic twist or splendid out-of-the-blue chorus. In a word: brilliant. Watch videos below...

Alpine - "The Vigour" (from A Is For Alpine)

Alpine - "Multiplication" (from A Is For Alpine)