The Beat Is… Alphabeat's answer to their raved-about eponymous debut. And while the band are back with a sleeker look and a new '90s vibe, the fun-filled flavour that made them stars is still there in spades. Sporting the singles, 'The Spell' and 'Hole In My Heart', plus bonus track 'Til I Get Round', the album is a crossover moment for this quirky pop outfit.
It's been a long time coming but Alphabeat's hotly-anticipated second album, The Beat Is…, is more than worth the wait. A departure for an act famed for their '80s influences, this album showcases tracks with their roots firmly in the beats of '90s house, a reflection of the band's own changing tastes.
Says Anders SG, "My favourite album, Like a Prayer, has a great vibe running through it. We wanted to try and create something like that. Our influences have changed since we moved to London. We've been listening to music on vinyl from charity shops as well as good, new stuff and we wanted the album to sound a bit more 'now'."
Stine adds, "We were pretty '80s-focussed on the last album and we just felt like moving on a bit and started listening to housey tracks from the early '90s. We thought there was something really cool about the piano riffs and the powerful vocals."