Alto 45 - 101101
by Tommy Gunnarsson
published: 10 / 8 / 2005

Label:
Happy Capitalist
Format: CD
intro
Mildly disappointing indiepop from Suffolk-based group Alto 45, who include Graham Coxon, The Delgados, Postal Service and The Radio Dept amongst their influences
The press release for this debut album talks about singer James Boyce sounding a bit like former Blur guitarist Graham Coxon, and less than ten seconds into the first song, 'Let’s Go Out', I can only confirm that that is true. I almost pressed the Open button on my CD-player the first time I heard this to see if I had put my copy of Coxon’s first album, 'The Sky is High', in the stereo instead of the Alto 45 one. But I hadn't, so I continued to listen to this English band, whose members are friends with Bearsuit, a favourite band of mine. Sadly, this is one of the times where the information on the press sheet promises more than it can keep. Well, the Coxon reference was spot on, and the other influences mentioned (The Delgados, Postal Service and The Radio Dept) are quite audible too, but the songs are just not good enough. The only time I reached for the sleeve to see what song it was was when I came to the fourth song, 'Sunburn'. With its weird bass lines and catchy melody, this is by far the best song on the album, even though the rest of the songs are not that bad either. I was just expecting a bit too much from this, which is never a good thing to do. Far too often you end up being disappointed…
Track Listing:-
1 Let's Go Out2 The Plan
3 Fell Down Stairs
4 Sunburn
5 Look Who You Know
6 Leaving Suburbia
7 Christian Song
8 Moses Gunn
9 Hospital Song
10 Ain't Got Nothing
11 Sleep & TV
most viewed articles
current edition
Carl Ewens - David Bowie 1964 to 1982 On Track: Every Album, Every SongSimian Life - Interview
the black watch - Interview
John McKay - Interview
Editorial - July 2025
Billie Eilish - O2 Arena, London, 10/7/2025
Armory Show - Interview with Richard Jobson
Hothouse Flowers - Photoscapes
Bathers - Photoscapes 2
Cleo Laine - 1927-2025
most viewed reviews
current edition
Sick Man of Europe - The Sick Man of EuropeAmy Macdonald - Is This What You've Been Waiting For?
Phew, Erika Kobayashi,, Dieter Moebius - Radium Girls
Alice Cooper - The Revenge of Alice Cooper
Blueboy - 2
Lucy Spraggan - Other Sides of the Moon
Bush - I Beat Loneliness
Davey Woodward - Mumbo in the Jumbo
Philip Jeays - Victoria
Lapsley - I'm a Hurricane, I'm a Woman In Love
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart