About.com Rating

"Fascination" never sounded so good. Danish superpower Alphabeat have continued to storm the charts with their sunny and absolutely infectious 80s-inspired carefree pop music, and who can blame anyone for loving it? Distinctive two-part vocal harmonies expressed richly and with gusto by both male and female vocalists comprise a large percentage of the group's appeal. Supporting our two lead vocalists are a drummer, bassist, guitarist, and keyboardist, which build, much like a house, a solid foundation of meaty and undeniably perfect melodic retro-pop.


The 6-piece band effortlessly layers all their individual and unique talents on top of each other so masterfully that you cannot point at any one member and say, "He is why this band rocks!" You just have to say, "This band rocks!" And they do, while simultaneously providing progressive yet subtle dance pop beats and carefully written lyrical hooks that keep you bopping in your seat or putting in a bounce in your step

Alphabeat began their road to success with the possessive and catty "Boyfriend," a 2007 Danish hit that would later become their third UK single. "Don't you touch my boyfriend/ He's not your boyfriend/ He's mine" is the simple and catchy chorus to the song, and it is easy to see why, after peaking at the number 11 spot on the Danish charts, the group is taking another stab with it by releasing it in the UK. The following track, "Fantastic 6," is a song that has only been released in Denmark as of yet, except as a limited edition 10" prior to the UK release of "Fascination." The song features a quirky and bilingual chorus as the lead singers split between German and English.

"10,000 Nights of Thunder," or "10,000 Nights" in the UK, was their third Danish single and their second in the UK. Soaring pop melodies and a yearing romantic nature not only make the original a great pop song but made the remixes, notably by Bimbo Jones, so crazily effective. Their UK debut single, "Fascination," made significant waves on the charts wherever it went. The unforgettable pop stomper began its journey in Alphabeat's native Denmark in 2007 and left a scorching path after it took over the UK in 2008, not only pleasing ears on Podcasts and radio broadcasts but also in clubs where remixes by Bimbo Jones and Linus Loves left dancers fascinated.

And where can you find such a collection of retro-pop? Alphabeat have released their debut UK album, This Is Alphabeat, June 2nd 2008. While the tracklisting differs from the Danish release of Alphabeat, missing a couple of the more endearing tracks like "Into the Jungle" and "Ocean Blue," they have gained some tracks as well. "Go-Go," "Touch Me Touching You," and "Public Image LTD" flesh out the album after the other tracks had been pruned.

Summary: Simply put, you cannot miss this album. Pulling from the past and marching into the future, like pop heartthrob Mika, Alphabeat has come to command your heart, soul, and groove thang. And it's a journey you won't forget.

Released June 2008 on EMI-UK.