Thrashy, punky, glorious, melodic pop.
On the one hand, between album stop-gap releases or B-sides collections can be cumbersome beasts throwing together a bunch of tracks with no cohesion or thoughts. However, throughout the years the quality of these records has been growing and Nine Black Alps can add their name to this bunch with the release of 'Glitter Gulch.'
Nine Black Alps have been kicking around for the past few years and although their album sales have been moderate, there is a hardcore following for them and this release contains previously released 7" B-sides and a bonus live track. The usual blurb is that the package as compiled for the fans but its not a bad introduction to the band.
A few years back, Nine Black Alps were the support to the Secret Machines (possibly...time withers the memory regarding support acts) and any chance of them making an impact was blown by my sister-in-law misreading the notice board and asking about the Nine Black Apes. Thankfully, a second chance to enjoy the band has come around.
Opener 'Over The Ocean' is a melodious thrash, almost as if The Beach Boys combined with early Manics or Doves to inject serotonin straight into your brain as the chorus soars and skips. The thought that this track was passed up onto a vinyl side B grabs you a bit as there are many acts today who would kill for a hit this poppy yet rocking.
An auspicious start is followed by the Tim Burgess vocals of 'Ilana Song' and its darker rockier roots. One noticeable aspect is the shortness of all the tracks, they get in and get out and retain a spiky element.
The live track 'Coldhearted' is a fitting end to the release, capturing the upbeat element of the band and showcasing the same melodies as discussed earlier but in a far croakier, live run through. It also balances off the strangeness of 'Near Coming Down' which precedes it.
As a cheap introduction to Nine Black Alps, it may not cover all the bases that the band cover but it showcases a band making glorious and thashy sounds.