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ALTRA..’HALFMAD’

(Self Release) Reviewed 23rd February 2011

Here we have the début release from American singer songwriter Altra (not to be confused with a Russian singer of the same name). Some of you will know Professor Brian Cox who played keyboards for Drama and D-Ream, and of course Brian May, well, Altra is also a musical quantum physicist, must be something in the particles at a subatomic level. They say that if quantum physics doesn’t shock you, then you don’t understand it, so I’m totally appalled, honestly, truly, really, herrr hummm. Her music is new wave rock with a savvy punk attitude, a mix of the music that emanated from New York’s CBGB club in the late seventies, but brought bang up to date with 21st century sound, factoring into her equation bands like Television, Ramones, Blondie, Dictators, Patti Smith, Cars and Talking Heads (perversely CBGB stands for Country, Blue Grass and Blues, nothing like the music it became famous for). Altra’s voice ranges from a sneering drawl to a soft whisper to a deep power to a rap depending on the mood of the music which has real diversity but a consistency of sound, packed with superb guitars, keys and hooks big enough to catch a black hole. We open with a brace of infectious driving rockers ‘Hang in There’ and ‘Girls’, followed by the Ian Dury esque ‘Shake’ and the lovely mellower ‘To All The Lovers’. The fulcrum is the string laced ‘She is Our Mother’ which starts gently before building to a ripping guitar solo. After that comes the acerbic groover ‘Hypocrite’, and then we have a pair of punky rock ‘n’ rollers ‘The Future’ and ‘Orange Sky’. Next up is the moody dramatic ‘Diana’, the catchy rocker ‘Magical Girl’ and finally the haunting surreal waltz ‘Decadence’. If you like music that rocks like a free radical and is packed with attitude, then motion your particles to her band camp at click here, a cosmic 8.75/10 (Phil)

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