Alice Rock ::: Kill or Cure
Released in August of this year, "Kill or Cure" is the latest album from the Essex based two-piece Alice Rock. The album is fun and upbeat, but has a rough surface under its sugar-coated pop exterior.

The vocals provided by Alice have a sing-song quality to them, reminiscent of girls teasing each other in the schoolyard. They are not shrill or irritating, rather playful and catchy. The majority of the album is stylistically homogenous, with a few highlights to keep the attention of the listener. "Kill or Cure" comes across as musically similar to the Ting Tings but with a quirky, punk rock edge. The album plays with the themes of futurism, both optimistic and dystopian. The album never grows too serious though.

On "Model QT100" Alice declares her affection for a fictional device, satirizing society's need for the newest model, only to dispense of it when something better comes along. Both "Old Fashioned Girl" and "The Breeding Lady" bring up the dichotomy between traditional rearing of young ladies versus the modern, technologically steeped, standard. They save the best for the last in "Kill or Cure". The final track is the most complex and biting of them all. Alice's vocals are laid bare as she questions whether or not society is driving itself to its own demise.

"Kill or Cure" comes across as a professionally produced, lyrically clever release. The album holds together tightly and does not feel dull or tedious at any moment. If any of the vitriolic enthusiasm in Alice's vocals translates into live performance, they certainly would be worth catching in person. 5/6

Review by Luan Roberts