Line up changes can spell the end for many bands that never recover from the transition. The bands that do move forward then face having to either teach the new members all their back catalogue or readjust to the new set up. Alright the Captain chose to continue on as the three piece after losing a member, and their brand of energetic instrumental music has lost nothing through the loss of a member. The new, slimmed down version of the band, formed in Nottingham, England,  have actually managed to add some extra zest to their distorted musical juggernaut with their new release, 123 EP.

Weaving between the delicate build ups familiar to Russian Circles and the face melting pace of And So I Watch You From Afar, Alright the Captain manage to build songs that don’t tread on too many toes. The varying time patterns and distortions used give the band a wider scope for avoiding repetitive sounds that haunt some bands. Bass and the guitar joust with each other, and one often falls away to let the other take the lead. The band often flirts between the lines of technical and energetic riffing, and opener “Honey Badger” is a fine example of this, where the speedy guitar work is broken into a section of almost tech-like fret work and the guitar seems to scream with unrestrained fury. This section allows the band to change pace and direction after each screeching riff, and this is the essence of the band’s technique.

Alright the Captain is able to cram a lot of ideas and structures into short tracks without it being detrimental to the quality of the track. In “Neo Tokyo,” a wall of wavering bass distortion breaks up the various riffs, but it doesn't disturb the overall coherence of the track. The pace of the tracks is also well controlled, using a similar structure wherein the bass will come to the fore and the guitar slips down in the mix only to reintroduce itself playing a different passage of music. This control of the pace helps to keep the songs varied and fresh.

There is a rawness to these recordings that implies that what is coming from the speakers is close to the band’s live performance. There are moments where it’s nearly possible to hear the foot stomp on the distortion pedal, and these moments add a feeling of authenticity to the album. It’s refreshing to have something real rather then a sound assembled perfectly on a computer. The rawness does not detract from the music, and even lovers of crystalline, flawless sound will not be deterred by the recordings.

Alright the Captain are not going to set the world alight with this three song offering. However, they do manage to create songs that don’t sound used or borrowed. The musicianship of the three members carries on the sound the band previously achieved with four members. Their releases, while sounding original, never quite become inspirational; unlike the overdone crescendos of so many post-rock bands, the123 EP does not contain moments which many other bands will take up and copy. It does, however, provide three great tracks of energetic instrumentation, and that alone is thoroughly refreshing.

-Gary Davidson