Wonky Alice
Atomic Raindance

THE REVIEW

Wonky Alice are a small meteor that crashed onto Earth's surface to leave an indelible mark, with only one album to their name, this "Atomic Raindance" from 1992, plus just two EPs produced by these individuals from Oldham (UK): Andrew James Costa (guitar and vocals), Yves Altana (guitar), Karen Leatham on bass, and Steven Crowther on drums. Their atomic dance comes from a planet explored by peculiar creatures, a planet frequented by insects, people like myself or those interested in this review and this record, essentially life forms presumed to belong to the animal kingdom.

In the splendid wave of the early '90s rock undergrowth, Wonky Alice recuperate the Post-Punk flair of the Chameleons, marrying it with psychedelic influences typical of early Mercury Rev or early Flaming Lips, cerebral and sweet sounds at the same time, interpreted and supported by a voice and rhythm section typical of the British Wave combined with an explosive surge of guitar energy typical of the two aforementioned American bands. I could mention tracks like "Radius" and "Sirius", but every piece in the set is equally enjoyable, like "Sundance", where the tension that pervades most of the track's duration falls into a final moment of ecstasy, and honestly, I can't find the words to describe the beauty of "Captain Paranoia". 

A band that has all the makings to be cited among the cult favorites of '90s Rock, indeed I wonder why they are not yet that "popular" and a subject of discussion among listeners, moreover, there is also limited information available about them on the Web. Currently, it's also a bit difficult to find "Atomic Raindance" on CD, or at least it's found at a slightly higher price than standard, just like "Hex" by Bark Psychosis or the first by Low. However, some lucky individual will have surely managed to obtain it and will surely be very happy about it.