Friday 14 August 2015

ALMA - Self titled mini-album (Review)


The haunting sound of London duo Alma is nothing short of hair-raising. Tranquil by nature but utterly magnetic, the eponymous debut mini album is set for release by the band on 14th August via Fierce Panda. Branded “complex and meditative” by Clash magazine, the EP features a series of seven spell-binding tracks which span an entire cosmos of emotion. ‘The Lighthouse’ is the striking preamble to the upcoming release, and hints at the gentle yet powerfully evocative nature of the album. Featuring gentle guitar twangs and almost whispering vocals, the track is a true masterpiece.


The second offering of the EP is rather cleverly titled ‘The Great Escape’: drum rolls and jubilant trumpets there are not; instead, Alma urges it’s listeners to lose themselves in the eerily orchestral, almost cinematic quality of the music. The composition of the track is led faultlessly by Pete Lambrou, member of English post-rock band Codes In The Clouds. Fellow bandmate Ciaran Morahan completes the duo, and together they produce a stunning arrangement.

The band is suitably named after “a really bloody powerful telescope”, the Atacama Large Milimeter Arrary, a decision which reflects the other-worldly quality of its sound. The album moves with ghostly fluidity from one track to the next, the end result being a zephyr-like spectrum of stunning melodies.

Catch Alma at their special release show at St. Pancras Old Church in London this August 14th.


Alma's mini album is released on August 14th on Fierce Panda Records

Alma Official