Setting out in the tradition of post-hardcore experimentalists At The Drive-In and Yourcodenameis:milo, Alpha Male Tea Party have dipped their toe in the waters of progressive rock and clearly liked how it feels. The Liverpool trio’s first full-length release has a hint of the intelligent, expansive mathematics of trailblazers like Oceansize, and weird sounds and textures to make Alex Lifeson look twice at his pedalboard.
Opener Baker’s Dozen sets the tone, with thrilling interplay and naked ambition tearing from the speakers. It’s All About The Throat features vocals from guitarist Tom Peters and bassist Dan Leadbetter, which crop up throughout the album to add extra melodic colour and emphasis. Wittily titled highlights Griff Rees Homes and My Ship Is Shipshaped start off with an almost conventional song structure before embarking on extended, brilliantly confrontational outro sections.
The centrepiece of AMTP is a sprawling two-parter, the waltzing We Should Be Animals I & II, and they’re at their highest peak of energy on Jason Fucked The Argonauts.
They sound unstoppable, and if they keep up this calibre of music, surely will be.
