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Solabeat Alliance have been featured on Alt-UK.com since pretty much the beginning – they were one of the first bands to get a band page on the site and have had many a review to grace this very site and I’m usually straight on the case to write up the reviews – however this has not been the case with the album ‘Island Fire.’ I have owned this CD for about 2 weeks now and have spent this time trying to work the CD out – it is really nothing like anything that I have seen with the Solabeat Alliance before, they have come up with something entirely different and really shocked me – it is not at all what I expected from them and has a much cleaner sound than before. With ‘Rise On Up’ the band seemed to be going for that live edge, which had not been captured with their previous 2 efforts and they came up tops. This CD however shows the band in a whole new light – the production of it is extremely different and I have spent the last 2 weeks trying to work out whether I like it or not – and about some of the tracks I am still undecided. I really enjoyed the ‘Rise On Up’ EP but feel the songs which have been recorded for the album which were on Rise On Up, ‘Summer Nights,’ and ‘Set It Off,’ have not come off as well as they did on the EP, and I feel that the magic has not really been captured in them.
There are 13 tracks here, including the bonus track of an alternative version of ‘All Or Nothing’ and of course there are some stand out tracks on the CD! ‘Heroes,’ ‘Supersonic,’ and ‘People Of The World’ all capture the spirit of the Solabeat Alliance – they are fun, fresh, and funky tunes that are sure to make you skank with their catchy, dare I say it – infectious vocals, blinding bass lines, strong horn lines, cool guitar riffs, and fast, furious drum beats. ‘Supersonic’ especially appealed to my taste as it is a crazily catchy song and just reminded me of the enthusiasm for performing that was shown when I first saw them play back in November 2002. After frequent listening, this song still fails to tire, and if I was ever to make an Alt-UK compilation CD then this song would be one of the first to spring to mind! I have always had a bit of a soft-spot for the music which Solabeat Alliance make and this is a track that reminded me of how I first came to love their stuff – and I respect it for that. This track shows me that although the production of this CD is a lot cleaner, they are not going to have forgotten how to kick it when I next see them live – and with all this new material I am really excited to see how it is all going to come out when not on record!
With final track, ‘Another Day,’ the band seem to be trying to be the next Less Than Jake, and being a fan of the band it really doesn’t do it for me I’m afraid lads! Solabeat Alliance may be a fine UK band but they are no Less Than Jake as yet and as a result this track really does not do the band justice – the horns seem to take on a different sound, the vocal styling of Tim changes and the whole outlook of the band just seems to differ on this track than to the rest of the CD. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the band deeply but this one really isn’t the Solabeat that I was first weaned into – they have always had that Pop-Ska tinge to them but this song is a bit of a step too far in my books – stick to what you do best eh?!
Bet you all thought id forgotten ‘All Or Nothing’ for a minute there didn’t you?! Oh no, how wrong can you be – I have merely been saving the best till last! There are 2 versions of the track on this CD – along version and a short version, both versions are tremendous tracks and I assure you they will not disappoint. If you have ever been a fan of a Solabeat Alliance song then you are pretty much definitely going to love ‘All Or Nothing.’ It is extremely well written, has all the Solabeat charm and is one track that the clean production really does do justice! ‘All Or Nothing’ will surely get your juices flowing, and if it does not then surely you ought to see a doctor as there’s got to be something the matter with you!
So, although I have mixed feelings about this album, particularly the re-recordings of the Rise On Up tracks, I was generally impressed with what I heard in the album ‘Island Fire’ and although my love of the band has not increased, it has certainly not put me off the band at all! You will surely see me at the Carling Academy, Islington on the 9th of April when Solabeat Alliance are supported by the fantastic band that is Route215 (having just stared death in the face in a road accident.)
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