Alpines have described their music as 'night pop', fusing together the electric and the ethereal.
They're a duo consisting of Bob Matthews on production and Catherine Pockson on vocals - think Clare Maguire meets Massive Attack. The electric production is a hypnotic maelstrom of liquid piano, pulsating synths and a trip-hop beat. This is matched by Pockson's ethereal vocal for haunting effect, intoning breathlessly "I want you, more than I think you do" like a phantom. Their blog is filled with artistic photos, from nature and landscapes to gothic photo shoots, and it's clear that the duo take their work seriously. This extends to the video - simply shot but edited together with the complex beat.
Pop, however, is at the core of their sound. It's no surprise that Alpines have previously supported The Naked And Famous and, later this year, will be supporting Oh Land and Florence + The Machine. The electric and the ethereal fuse together in Cocoon, balancing spectral art with pop immediacy. The only downside is the abrupt ending, which snaps the listener out of the dream far too early.
4/5
Listen: Cocoon is available to download now, as is the EP 'Night Drive'.
Watch: Alpines are supporting Oh Land in February and Florence + The Machine in March, both in London - click here for details.
