How do you look back on the mid-to-late-2000s? With a sense of warmth? An overwhelming feeling of regret? How about despair? Confusion?
We look back on this period with a mixture of all those emotions.
- Warmth at those great memories of Alphabeat accidentally having a massive hit single with 'Fascination' then having a really good debut album.
- Regret that we did not cherish that special moment a little bit more at the time.
- Despair that their second album, the 90s-influenced 'The Spell', was either four years ahead of its time or seventeen years behind its time.
- Confusion re their third album 'Express Non-Stop' not exactly being a classic of our times.
Well let the despair and confusion be gone this frosty morning. Permit the regret to dissipate. Allow warmth back into your lives ladies and gentlemen because Stine Bramsen from the band (ie pretty much the only one who wasn't called Anders) has some solo stuff coming out and it is extremely good.
The first song to poke its head above the pop parapets is called 'Prototypical' and it's really great.
Here, exclusively (except not quite because her record label put the YouTube link up early but not to worry) is Stine doing the song in a live environment.
If you are wondering what the actual proper studio version of 'Prototypical' sounds like, it's basically the clip above but about three times better, because studio versions are always about three times better than live versions. It's brooding! It's stomping! It's poignant and it's melodic! Ultimately though what we have here is a great single.
Stine's been working on her solo stuff over the last year or so — Alphabeat have not, it has been pointed out to us, split up — in collaboration with Danish producer and songwriter Nicolaj Rasted. We've heard some bits of other songs too and they, also, are very nice indeed.
'Prototypical' is out on January 20, which is literally quite soon; in the meantime Stine has a Facebook page, which you may like to visit. It's at www.facebook.com/stinebramsen.
Welcome back Stine!