Search - Alpinestars :: White Noise

An overlooked classic

Lyle Kopnicky | Portland, OR United States | 11/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of those CDs I picked up in the music store when it came out, after listening to it on the headphones. I thought, neat, it's electronic but it's still rock. A real genre bender.



It turned out to be one of those rare CDs that I can not get tired of. The groove flows brilliantly from beginning to end. The music is simultaneously mellow and energetic, like shoegazer music, but more electronic. The melodies are catchy. Every time the next song starts, you'll say, "Oh, cool, THAT one! I forgot that was on here too!"



It is also highly accessible. Everyone I have played this for has loved it. It makes the perfect music for a road trip, when it's raining, or dark. Definitely a nighttime album.



"Snow Patrol" is a great introduction. It's pretty psychedelic, and a bit apocalyptic. It's followed up by NuSEX City, which evokes the environment of a chic dance club.



Every song is lovely, but "Carbon Kid" is perfect. It's the bounciest, and the singer's voice sounds like an ironic hipster processed through a computer to give it a menacing edge. It bears the incredibly catchy line "You're a carbon kid with a sinister diagram."



"Crystalnight" follows "Carbon Kid", and it's the perfect counterpoint - a slow, gentle ode, I suppose, to that fated evening in Germany during the Holocaust.



"Carbon Kid" is so wonderful that I always enjoy it coming back at the end in the remix.



The videos for "Snow Patrol" and "Carbon Kid" are included as well, in Quicktime.



It's too band this band seems to have disappeared - their web site is no longer active. It's just another one of those perfect albums, that I'll periodically check back and see if they ever come out with a new one, but never do. (Like Lincoln, or Lord Runningclam.) I have yet to check out their first album, B.A.S.I.C. I'm so worried it won't compare. I can't hold it up to this standard."

A few filler tracks don't stop 'Snow Patrol' from shining.

Ryan | New York, USA | 02/05/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"We've all heard 'Snow Patrol' from the classic game, SSX3. With its catchy synths and cold sound, you would feel like you were in winter even if it was 100 degrees outside. After I beat the game, I felt like listening to some more Alpinestars. After buying and listening to 'White Noise', I felt that techno isn't dead. In fact, it's alive and well.



'Nusex City' reminds me of a trip I took to NYC to see the Blue Man Group. With its disco-esque guitar and drum-machine beats, you can take a trip back to the bell-bottom glory of the late 70s. 'Hotel Parallel' is a trippy little ditty that is reminiscent of the old N64 game, Snowboard Kids. Vintage synths and booming beats make this a sweet little techno song. 'Burning Up' isn't as 'techno' as you would hope, but it's not half bad. 'Brotherhood' is another little techno song, but I like 'Hotel Parallel' better because it's more dance-like. My favorite song,'Bital Love Disciple', would be better if they removed the 'Bital....Love....Disciple' whispers in the beginning, and the middle....and the end. The house feel of this song has 'classic' written all over it. 'Love Craft' is a basic make-out song as far as I can tell, 'Crystalnight' is a moodly little Depeche Mode esque song. Then comes the next chapter of 'Snow Patrol', this time a little colder. Though I prefer part 1 more, I never skip part 2.



The best song on this album, perhaps one of my favorite songs of all time, is 'Carbon Kid'. It's not techno, it's not rock, it's a combination of both. Placebo's frontman takes the vocals by storm. 'Image Image, you do what you want, you're a carbon kid with a sinister diagram...' are my favorite lines on this song. The little sound effects they add into the mix make the song all the more enjoyable.



The rest of the album is a little synth-driven, a little acoustic, a little of everything. It's little short of perfect. The bonus track 'Smash It Up!' is a great song, reminding me of Jane's Addiction for some reason. I't pick it up if I were you, wintery techno goes great with all four seasons."