The Spell (Alphabeat album)

The Spell
Studio album by Alphabeat
Released 26 October 2009 (2009-10-26)
Genre Dance-pop, Europop, house, electropop, synthpop
Length 37:22
Label Copenhagen
Producer Anders SG, Anders B, Troels Hansen, Rasmus Nagel, Jonas Quant, Mike Spencer, Richard "Biff" Stannard
Alphabeat chronology
Alphabeat
(2007)		 The Spell
(2009)
Alternative cover
The Beat Is... cover
Singles from The Spell
  1. "The Spell"
    Released: 21 September 2009
  2. "Hole in My Heart"
    Released: 22 February 2010
  3. "DJ"
    Released: 9 January 2010
  4. "Heat Wave"
    Released: 21 June 2010

The Spell is the second studio album by Danish pop group Alphabeat. It was released in Denmark on 26 October 2009 by Copenhagen Records. Alphabeat stated their second album moved away from the pop roots of their debut album, Alphabeat, in favour of popular dance acts of the 1990s such as Snap! and Black Box.[1][2] Lead single "The Spell" uses keyboard chords very similar to Cut 'N' Move's 1991 classic "Get Serious", with band member Anders SG saying the song was especially inspired by Black Box's 1990 song "I Don't Know Anybody Else".[2][3]

The album was originally set to be released in the United Kingdom one week after the original Danish release,[1][2] but was eventually released on 1 March 2010, followed by the second single, "Hole in My Heart".[3] As announced by the band through their Facebook page on 27 January 2010,[4] UK and international pressings of the album were retitled The Beat Is... including the bonus track "Till I Get Round".

In November 2010, the album earned Alphabeat the Danish Music Award for Danish Group of the Year.[5]

Contents

Singles

"The Spell" was released in Denmark on 21 September 2009, serving as the lead single from the album. It topped the Danish Singles Chart for four non-consecutive weeks, while becoming a top twenty hit in Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. "Hole in My Heart" was released as the album's second single in the UK on 22 February 2010, peaking at twenty-nine on the UK Singles Chart. "DJ" is the album's third single overall. Released as the album's second single in Denmark on 9 January 2010, the track peaked at number six in Denmark. For the UK release on 31 May 2010, the single was remixed by Biffco and promoted as "DJ (I Could Be Dancing)", but failed to chart within the UK top 100. "Heat Wave" is overall the album's fourth single, released in Denmark on 21 June 2010.[6] It charted at number four in Denmark, the group's second highest-peaking single in their home country. The video for the single was released on 11 August 2010.[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic (58/100)[8]
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [9]
BBC Music (fairly negative)[10]
Daily Express (3/5)[11]
Drowned in Sound (1/10)[12]
entertainment.ie [13]
The Guardian [14]
musicOMH [15]
NME (5/10)[16]
The Observer (positive)[17]
The Times [18]

The Spell received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 58, based on 7 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews".[8] K. Ross Hoffman of Allmusic viewed the album as "an even glossier, more unabashedly poptastic affair than their first album. Continuing in the overtly dancy direction signaled by the tracks added to their debut's re-release (in particular 'Touch Me Touching You') and the popular Pete Hammond remix of 'Boyfriend,' and slightly updating the band's oh-so-'80s touchstones, Beat takes its cues from turn of the '90s club music: Hi-NRG, Euro-beat, hip-house, and the Scandinavian synth-reggae of Ace of Base."[9] Hugh Montgomery wrote for The Observer that the album finds the group "appropriating the handbag house sound that was the cornerstone of provincial clubs circa 1995. Thus jittery piano riffs and hands-in-the-air breakdowns abound, while singer Stine hollers dancefloor doggerel."[17] Simon Gage from Daily Express described the songs as "chirpy and silly with witty lyrics", while calling the music itself "Euro-nonsense at its finest."[11] The Guardian's Michael Hann, however, believed that "[t]he glee that infused that first album has been swamped by endless staccato synth or piano riffs, all of which sound like a score of minor hits from a generation ago."[14] Mike Diver of BBC Music agreed, stating, "With its makers performing like they'd rather be elsewhere, compositions finalised by playing percentages rather than the passion that fuelled their debut, The Beat Is… represents a nadir for a group once heralded as purveyors of the very brightest pop."[10]

Stephen Kelly of the NME commented that "Alphabeat have bravely stripped away all the bubblegum that originally made them popular in favour of the Euro-dance years of the late-'80s/early-'90s. The result is stronger than you might think, but too inconsistent and devoid of depth to stand out on a battlefield where Gaga rules all."[16] The Times critic Peter Paphides opined that "their second album varies the tempo and tone without sacrificing the joyful execution. The ultra-catchy single, 'The Spell', is an apt microcosm of a whole that peaks with the Italo-house urgency of '365 Degrees'. But, if 'Chess'' resemblance to Ace of Base strikes you as a bad thing, the rest may not appeal to you either."[18] Michael Cragg of musicOMH noted that "[t]hings start promisingly, [...] with the first four songs zipping by in a blaze of joyfully cheesy beats ('The Spell'), '90s rave piano ('Hole In My Heart') and neat vocal interplay between singers Anders SG and Stine Bramsen ('DJ')", but felt that the remainder of the album "lacks any sparkle or panache, with the band falling foul of a very current musical disease; the Auto-Tune obsession."[15] Lauren Murphy from entertainment.ie concluded that "Alphabeat may have lost some of their magic, but they admittedly make reparations with the damned catchy 'Heat Wave' and 'The Right Thing', two of the peppiest tunes on offer here. Unfortunately, it's not quite enough to prevent this album from being something of an anticlimax. A highly stylised one, sure – but a disappointment, nonetheless."[13] Aaron Lavery was emphatic in his review for Drowned in Sound, referring to the album as "an absolute abomination of a record", while adding, "Gone is any sense of personality or charm that Alphabeat once had, to be replaced by masses of Autotuned vocals, processed beats and batteries of keyboard sounds that haven't been aired since Ace Of Base and 2Unlimited ruled the waves."[12]

Track listing

The Spell (Danish release)
No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "The Spell"   Anders SG, Anders B SG, B 3:37
2. "DJ"   B B 3:28
3. "Hole in My Heart"   SG SG 4:08
4. "The Beat Is"   Troels Hansen, Rasmus Nagel Hansen, Nagel 3:21
5. "Heatwave"   B, Mike Spencer B, Spencer 3:47
6. "Chess"   SG, B, Bramsen, Jonas Quant, Richard "Biff" Stannard Quant, Stannard 3:33
7. "Heart Failure"   B B 3:33
8. "Always Up with You"   SG SG 3:38
9. "Q&A"   SG, B, Bramsen, Steve Robson SG, B 4:06
10. "The Right Thing"   SG, B SG, B 4:11
The Beat Is... (international release)
No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "The Beat Is"   Hansen, Nagel Hansen, Nagel 3:21
2. "The Spell"   SG, B SG, B 3:37
3. "DJ"   B B 3:28
4. "Hole in My Heart"   SG SG 4:08
5. "Chess"   SG, B, Bramsen, Quant, Stannard Quant, Stannard 3:33
6. "Heart Failure"   B B 3:33
7. "Heat Wave"   B, Spencer B, Spencer 3:47
8. "Always Up with You"   SG SG 3:38
9. "Q & A"   SG, B, Bramsen, Robson SG, B 4:06
10. "The Right Thing"   SG, B SG, B 4:11
11. "Till I Get Round"   B B 3:27

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2010) Peak
position
Danish Albums Chart[22] 5
Dutch Albums Chart[23] 96
UK Albums Chart[24] 39

Certifications

Country Certification
Denmark Platinum[25]

Year-end charts

Chart (2009) Position
Danish Albums Chart[25] 36
Chart (2010) Position
Danish Albums Chart[25] 22

Release history

Country Date Label
Denmark 26 October 2009[26] Copenhagen Records
United Kingdom 1 March 2010[27] Fascination Records, Polydor Records
Germany 2 March 2010[28] Universal Music
Netherlands 12 March 2010[29]

References

  1. ^ a b "Alphabeat to release second album". Newsbeat. BBC News Online. 21 August 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/music/newsid_10000000/newsid_10001100/10001121.stm. Retrieved 21 August 2009. 
  2. ^ a b c Balls, David (24 September 2009). "Alphabeat LP 'influenced by '90s dance'". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a178942/alphabeat-lp-influenced-by-90s-dance.html. Retrieved 24 September 2009. 
  3. ^ a b "Single & Album News". Facebook. 17 November 2009. http://www.facebook.com/notes/alphabeat/single-album-news/218323370672. Retrieved 17 November 2009. 
  4. ^ "Album Name Change – "THE BEAT IS…"". Facebook. 27 January 2010. http://www.facebook.com/notes/alphabeat/album-name-change-the-beat-is/313603645672. Retrieved 31 January 2010. 
  5. ^ Lindholm, Lasse (15 November 2010). "Medina gjorde rent bord til Danish Music Awards" (in Danish). IFPI Denmark. Pladebranchen.NU. http://www.pladebranchen.nu/?id=592. Retrieved 27 July 2011. 
  6. ^ "Heat Wave (Edit) – Single by Alphabeat" (in Danish). iTunes Store Denmark. Apple Inc.. http://itunes.apple.com/dk/album/heat-wave-edit-single/id378071559. Retrieved 22 June 2010. 
  7. ^ "Alphabeat – Heatwave Video!". thisisalphabeat.com. 11 August 2010. http://www.thisisalphabeat.com/news.php?item=203. Retrieved 22 October 2010. 
  8. ^ a b "The Beat Is... – Alphabeat". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. http://www.metacritic.com/music/the-beat-is. Retrieved 8 July 2010. 
  9. ^ a b K. Ross, Hoffman. "The Beat Is... – Alphabeat – Review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-beat-is-r1712564/review. Retrieved 6 August 2010. 
  10. ^ a b Diver, Mike (2 March 2010). "Review of Alphabeat – The Beat Is...". BBC Music. BBC Online. http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/fhfd. Retrieved 6 August 2010. 
  11. ^ a b Gage, Simon (26 February 2010). "Alphabeat: The Beat Is review". Daily Express. Northern & Shell Media Publications. http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/160629/Alphabeat-The-Beat-Is-reviewAlphabeat-The-Beat-Is-reviewAlphabeat-The-Beat-Is-reviewAlphabeat-The-Beat-Is-reviewAlphabeat-The-Beat-Is-reviewAlphabeat-The-Beat-Is-reviewAlphabeat-The-Beat-Is-reviewAlphabeat-The-Beat-Is-review. Retrieved 6 August 2010. 
  12. ^ a b Lavery, Aaron (1 March 2010). "Alphabeat – The Beat Is". Drowned in Sound. http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15152/reviews/4139248. Retrieved 6 August 2010. 
  13. ^ a b Murphy, Lauren (2 March 2010). "Alphabeat – The Beat Is...". entertainment.ie. http://entertainment.ie/album-review/Alphabeat-The-Beat-Is.../6896.htm. Retrieved 6 August 2010. 
  14. ^ a b Hann, Michael (25 February 2010). "Alphabeat: The Beat Is …". The Guardian. guardian.co.uk. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/feb/25/alphabeat-the-beat-is-review. Retrieved 6 August 2010. 
  15. ^ a b Cragg, Michael. "Alphabeat – The Beat Is...". musicOMH. http://www.musicomh.com/albums/alphabeat_0210.htm. Retrieved 6 August 2010. 
  16. ^ a b Kelly, Stephen (5 March 2010). "Album Review: Alphabeat – 'The Beat Is...' (Polydor)". NME. IPC Media. http://www.nme.com/reviews/alphabeat/11111. Retrieved 6 August 2010. 
  17. ^ a b Montgomery, Hugh (28 February 2010). "Alphabeat: The Beat Is…". The Observer. guardian.co.uk. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/feb/28/alphabeat-cd-review. Retrieved 6 August 2010. 
  18. ^ a b Paphides, Peter (27 February 2010). "Alphabeat: The Beat is . . .". The Times. Times Newspapers. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/cd_reviews/article7037854.ece. Retrieved 6 August 2010. 
  19. ^ "The Spell (Bonus Track Version) by Alphabeat" (in Danish). iTunes Store Denmark. Apple Inc.. http://itunes.apple.com/dk/album/the-spell-bonus-track-version/id335561144. Retrieved 5 August 2010. 
  20. ^ "The Beat Is... by Alphabeat". iTunes Store UK. Apple Inc.. http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-beat-is/id354181535. Retrieved 5 August 2010. 
  21. ^ "Re that Alphabeat/Lady Gaga cover we had as Song Of The Day the day before yesterday". Popjustice. 10 February 2010. http://www.popjustice.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4419&Itemid=206. Retrieved 10 February 2010. 
  22. ^ "Alphabeat – The Spell". IFPI Denmark. Hung Medien. http://www.danishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Alphabeat&titel=The+Spell&cat=a. Retrieved 5 August 2010. 
  23. ^ "Alphabeat – The Spell" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Hung Medien. http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Alphabeat&titel=The+Spell&cat=a. Retrieved 5 August 2010. 
  24. ^ "Chart Stats – Alphabeat – The Beat Is". The Official Charts Company. Chart Stats. http://www.chartstats.com/release.php?release=49225. Retrieved 5 August 2010. 
  25. ^ a b c "Album 2010 Top-100" (in Danish). IFPI Denmark. Hitlisten.NU. Archived from the original on 29 January 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5w6QMRFaF. Retrieved 27 July 2011. 
  26. ^ "The Spell – Alphabeat" (in Danish). CDON.dk. http://cdon.dk/musik/alphabeat/the_spell-7266887. Retrieved 25 April 2011. 
  27. ^ "Alphabeat: Beat Is". HMV. http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;1;-1;-1;-1&sku=311183. Retrieved 25 April 2011. 
  28. ^ "The Beat Is...: Alphabeat" (in German). Amazon.de. http://www.amazon.de/dp/B0031DMU8S. Retrieved 25 April 2011. 
  29. ^ "The Beat Is... [ECD] – Alphabeat" (in Dutch). Free Record Shop. http://www.freerecordshop.nl/music/the-beat-is-ecd-0602527195230. Retrieved 25 April 2011. 
Alphabeat
Stine Bramsen · Anders B · Troels Hansen · Rasmus Nagel · Anders Reinholdt · Anders SG
Studio albums
Alphabeat · The Spell
Singles
"Boyfriend" · "10.000 Nights of Thunder" · "Fantastic 6" · "Fascination" · "Go-Go" · "What Is Happening" · "The Spell" · "DJ" · "Hole in My Heart" · "Heat Wave"
Other articles