I only discovered Alamos earlier this year. but i've quickly become a fan, so much so that recently I picked up their self-titled debut from last year. Going into the listening of it and based on my experience of the band live I was expecting them to be incredibly similar to Jetplane Landing, but the album isn't as heavy and rocked out as I imagined, and incidentally, is kind of the complete opposite.

The album throughout is very disco-indie and fuelled by funkpunk rhythms. That's not to say they're like The Killers or Pretty Girls Make Graves, but certain songs do feature a similar sound to that of We Are Scientists, or even to some extent, Maximo Park. Along with the guitar rhythms, this notion is reinforced by the laid-back funky basslines, as well as the continual looping of lyrics. Again, there's no dedicated keys or synth in place, but certainly there is an indie-funk aspect to the album that will, depending on your comfort levels in public eye, make you dance (or want to).

The band thankfully aren't afraid to turn up the heavy, and their sound can be very schizophrenic with "dance" and "mosh" being two actions you'll be switching between on a regular basis. "Kill Baby Kill" and "Small Ships" are just two examples of this combustion, combining that deep, raw, under-produced rock with that oh-so-sweet grooves notably with successful results. Moments like these remind you that despite your take on them, this band are undoubtedly creators of rock music first and foremost, evident with the grainy instrumentals and wailing guitar beats present on many of the songs. Melodic instrumentals between the verses do remind of the sound of Jetplane Landing on occasion, but really, there's no way possible to describe the sound and flow of this album without listening to it with your own ears.

Calling it perfection would be perhaps a little too much, but with such a fantastic sound throughout, it's certainly a great listening experience. The worst thing about the album then, is that the listening experience is cut short, and at only thirty minutes there's not a lot here. But the lasting impression you'll be left with will mean that it's not long before your replaying the entire album. Despite the band's sound, the album's length, the lyrics or musical construction, there is only one real word to describe these guys-

Underrated.