In a nutshell, the rather awkwardly monikered I Am Alaska is a band that sounds as though it’s on the road to an At The Drive-In convention before veering off to a music clinic hosted by Incubus. Along the way, particularly on ‘Lobo’, there’s been a rest stop in 30 Seconds To Mars territory. It’s all grandiose concert hall filling wedges of big rock music that never really penetrates the eardrums with any great effect.
Don’t get me wrong, ‘To Elude the Architect’ is a well prepared E.P. The band clearly has an identity, dipping a toe in indie waters before wading into melodic and expansive rock. The vocals undoubtedly fit snugly with the musicians’ efforts, which are solid in themselves. The problem is it all sounds a bit too similar. Without the track-listing in front of you it’s difficult to differentiate opener ‘Canvas’ from closer ‘Them’, or the three tracks that fall in between. Whilst it’s not a particularly painstaking 18 minutes, it is in fact quite a gentle melodic stroll, it’s not likely that anything is going to jump out and grab your attention for any extended period of time.
There’s an appeal to this record that I’m sure will strike a chord with some. How can it not? It’s crisp, clean cut, well structured and decently executed. Ultimately, that’s where the problem lies; it’s all very safe with no sign of peril. It’s a rather linear release that never really strays from what is a not very winding pathway in the first place. Good overall output but not prominent, forceful or diverse enough to upset the waters.
Alex