Motorama - Alps

Motorama are a five piece post-punk outfit from the Russian port city of Rostov-on-Don. Now, you can probably count the sum total of Russian post-punk bands on one hand. Which, in itself, should be intriguing enough a prospect to perk up most ears. But what’s even more compelling is the fact that their sound absolutely reeks of Factory-era Manchester. By way of early noughties New York. Interested?

‘Alps’ is a re-issue of their self-recorded debut LP, originally released way back when in 2010. A second album ‘Calendars’ followed in December 2012, but interestingly, they’ve opted to revert back to their debut just six months on. It kind of makes sense, because this will probably be most people’s first glimpse of the band, and ‘Alps’ serves as a good introduction to Motorama’s sound.

The album is full of Joy Division-aping robotic indie drumming, minimal, layered guitar lines, and some damn fine Paul Banks (with slight Russian accent) impersonations. A minute into opener ‘Northern Seaside’, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d time travelled to 2002 New York. Seriously, some of the Interpol nods are just too blatant. Case and point - the drum intro to Motorama’s ‘Ghost’ is alarmingly similar to ‘PDA’. So are the guitar lines. So are the vocals. Wait. Is this Interpol?

Hint - it’s not. But we’ll forgive them. Because despite all the glaring similarities and copycat-ing going on, the songs on ‘Alps’ are quite good. ‘Compass’ is an up-tempo gloomy pop delight filled with haunting melodies and melancholic guitar riffery. Title track ‘Alps’ is a more uplifting number, mixing the danceable joy of Two Door Cinema Club with the more morose tendencies of Joy Division or Editors. There isn’t anything here you haven’t heard before, but it’s still an entertaining and agreeable listen. Unfortunately, it might just be ten years too late.