Alpha Maid's latest album, Is This a Queue, finds the experimental London guitarist striking a balance between her signature scuffed-up production and superb songwriting. The result is an eclectic 31-minute listen that showcases Alpha Maid's DIY sound, dubbed-influences, and disaffected murmurings.
The record was written across several years and locations, with little given away in terms of specific influences or inspirations. However, the album checks out as a cohesive cluster of heady, rough-around-the-edges tracks that document the people and places Alpha Maid has encountered along the way.
The opening track sets the tone for the rest of the album, featuring a rickety drum loop, off-kilter bells, sinister screeches, and fragmentary voice recordings. Other notable tracks include swarming clouds of feedback, ritualistic drum workouts, and scrappy guitar jams, all woven together with a handful of hook-laden tracks that are more akin to songs than improvisations.
These memorable hooks are notable for their catchiness and angular post-punk guitars, merged with Manchester musician Leo Hermitt's coarse singsong delivery in the track "Numbers." On Smoke sounds like a break-up song warped through Alpha Maid's Auto-Tune-entrenched drawl. The album is tough and steely, offhandedly chucking in references to Giggs or industrial clang for every jangly riff.
While it may be tempting to call these tracks lo-fi, it's far from the truth - Alpha Maid's music is anything but delicate or twee. Instead, the album is a testament to her skill as a songwriter and musician, balancing the scuffed-up production with superb songwriting that stands on its own two feet.
The record was written across several years and locations, with little given away in terms of specific influences or inspirations. However, the album checks out as a cohesive cluster of heady, rough-around-the-edges tracks that document the people and places Alpha Maid has encountered along the way.
The opening track sets the tone for the rest of the album, featuring a rickety drum loop, off-kilter bells, sinister screeches, and fragmentary voice recordings. Other notable tracks include swarming clouds of feedback, ritualistic drum workouts, and scrappy guitar jams, all woven together with a handful of hook-laden tracks that are more akin to songs than improvisations.
These memorable hooks are notable for their catchiness and angular post-punk guitars, merged with Manchester musician Leo Hermitt's coarse singsong delivery in the track "Numbers." On Smoke sounds like a break-up song warped through Alpha Maid's Auto-Tune-entrenched drawl. The album is tough and steely, offhandedly chucking in references to Giggs or industrial clang for every jangly riff.
While it may be tempting to call these tracks lo-fi, it's far from the truth - Alpha Maid's music is anything but delicate or twee. Instead, the album is a testament to her skill as a songwriter and musician, balancing the scuffed-up production with superb songwriting that stands on its own two feet.
. The fact that it was written over several years and across multiple locations only adds to the eclectic vibe, you can really hear her DIY spirit shining through 
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. And the way she uses Auto-Tune in "On Smoke" is so cleverly done, it's like she's embracing this industrial side of her sound 
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. Definitely checking out some more music from this talented artist 
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! I mean, the production is super rough around the edges but it's like that's the whole point - it adds to the DIY vibe and makes the songs feel even more raw and honest 
. And the songwriting is insane, I love how she balances the weirdness with these catchy hooks 
. Plus, Leo Hermitt's vocals on "Numbers" are everything 
! It's like she's singing directly to your soul 
. I'm so glad I got into this album, it's like a breath of fresh air 
The way she blends different influences and sounds is just genius - it's like she's taken all these random bits and turned them into something totally unique & cool 
. And the production quality might seem rough at first, but trust me, it's actually really cleverly done. It's like she's embracing that DIY vibe and making it her own strength 
. Can't wait to see what else Alpha Maid has up her sleeve 
I think what makes Is This a Queue so interesting is how Alpha Maid's experimental side and DIY ethos come together to create this really unique sound. It's like she's taking all these different influences and inspirations, and then kinda smashing them all up into something new. The production can be a bit rough around the edges, but that's actually part of its charm 
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! It feels like there's this whole world of sound that she's tapped into, and it's amazing to hear her make sense of it. And Leo Hermitt on vocals? Mind. Blown. 
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. And honestly, have you guys noticed how all the reviews and comments are getting buried under a ton of unrelated threads? It's like, can't we just use some decent threading or something? 
Anyway, back to Alpha Maid... I loved her latest album, it's so raw and edgy 
. But, yeah, let's get the forum sorted out first 
"The best way out is always through." It feels like Alpha Maid has taken all her experiences and emotions and poured them into this record, making it a true reflection of herself as an artist. The DIY sound and eclectic mix of influences might seem rough around the edges at first, but that's part of its charm - it's raw, honest, and unapologetic. 
Yet, at the same time, it feels like Alpha Maid's trying too hard to be experimental – all those random influences and production tricks can be kinda overwhelming. And don't even get me started on the vocals, sometimes they're so Auto-Tune-y I want to cry... 
she's like the anti-artist who's actually super talented 
these 31 minutes are a wild ride and i love how she seamlessly blends diy vibes with industrial clangs 
it's so refreshing to hear an album that's unapologetically rough-around-the-edges without being, you know, actually bad 