Those with fairly reasonable memories may well recall that we briefly gave this lot a mention via Missive 131 when we inadvertently (and I’ll hasten to add with much joy) tripped upon the Sad Gnome record label. ‘Alice’ is the Brighton based ensembles debut release, an infectious honey that initially sounds like some best forgotten mid 80’s rock anthem brought in from the cold re-twiddled, re-sprayed and given a cutting edge chassis refit. Not a million miles in terms of stylising as the immense Suzerain, the ultra sexy pulse pounding ‘Alice’ is tensely wrapped and wired with punctuated lust ridden rhythms bedded upon slickly seductive showers of synthesised whirlpools - not your happy go lucky love song for My name is red - no sir - this is your full on crawling up the walls in desperation trying to score a seedy fix all metered out to a melody pierced through with restless upping the ante strut like splintering ravaged riffs that consume you whole and cocoon you into an inescapable trap of claustrophobic desire. Flipside features ‘the sun has got its hat on’ and before you ask - no not the chirpy little bugger from yore but instead a loosely detached and unhinged wig flipper of sorts that initially starts out like some rapidly unravelling from the inside slacker like moocher before momentarily bypassing through a trip like techno montage only to re-emerge from the other side as a viciously lacerating non nonsense foot to pedal blistering boogie mainlining on the riff from ‘(I’m not your) Steppin’ stone’. Essential stuff.
Mark Barton, losingtoday.com [review | website]

This infectious and original debut single from the Brighton-based four-piece, My Name Is Red, combines strong, dramatic vocals with a big, stirring instrumental sound. If you like the Killers or Bloc Party, you’ll probably like this. There’s a similar thumping urgency to it – the sort of sound that hooks you in and makes you want to go and see what it sounds like live. At the same time, there’s enough quirky individuality here for the band to avoid the charge of being just another clone.
Ros James, The Music Magazine [review | website]

Alice is the debut release from My Name Is Red, a Brighton-based electro-rock group. It begins in a really atmospheric, slightly eerie way, and the bass line fits in flawlessly, giving the track an incredibly passionate feel. The first verse threw me a little – the bassline and vocals were really syncopated – but once the first chorus gets going, the song really picks up, albeit in a slightly clichéd indie-rock way. The middle of the song hits a great high – the lyrics are anguished and powerful, which really allows Chris Hodges to make the most of his amazing voice. He has an incredible ability to show emotion, which really got me in the mood of the song. The heavy bass, drums, and wailing electro lead create the perfect backing to this aggressive, spine-tinglingly effective electro-rock anthem.
Olivia Alter, Oxide Radio [website]

‘Alice Won’t You Lay With Me’ is one of those songs that make you doubt, if not your own sanity, then at least your sense of time and place. Goth, electro and glam metal collide in a hail of sparks, on a dance floor somewhere in the bowels of the bands home town of Brighton, for an epic and colossal track that, in terms of structure and influence, would seem peerless in the current musical environment. Forget Nu-rave, this is something else entirely.
Imagine Sisters of Mercy, Underworld and Twisted Sister joining forces to write the theme tune for the next Bond film and you might be somewhere close to approaching how this sounds. A monstrous pop noise it might be, but Chris Hodges voice still manages to tower above the chaos, belting out the chorus with enough passion and verve to fill the new Wembley. Could they be stadium bound? Should the listening public manage to get their heads around such a gloriously twisted cacophony, who knows?
Richard Stokoe, losingtoday.com [review | website]