Alphabeat - The Beat Is...

Co-opting the sounds of yesteryear is hardly uncommon in pop, but it works better if the chosen template is, say, eighties electro, rather than the shitty fourth side of a Now That’s What I Call 1994 singles compilation. As Alphabeat resurrect Haddaway-style vocals, Ibeefa-house electric piano and backing tracks that practically warrant a ‘ft. Snap!’ suffix, it’s difficult to tell who’s having less fun – band or listener. Once in a while a slither of personality wrestles free from the Ace of Base production and smothering autotune, but that only makes the awfulness of their sophomore effort all the more lamentable – they’ve gone from refreshingly fun and up-beat to tacky euro-cheese, and in the process tainted in the memory the enjoyment that came before. As you rush to remove The Beat Is... from your speakers, try not to smudge the chalk outline of Alphabeat’s credibility.[Chris Buckle]