By Caprice Padilla (Caprice@bandvibe.com)
Dated: 06/17/08

Sneaker Pimps’ Chris Corner indulges listeners with a dramatic, sexually charged album that feels almost taboo to listen to. The Alternative, Corner’s solo project and second album under the name IAMX, embodies European emo electronica with its trance-like beats and industrial sound. It’s evocative of the glam rock genre popularized in the 1970s, with an edgier flair.

The album avoids monotony by throwing in the slower, ballad-like tracks, Lulled by Numbers and This Will Make You Love Again. The downtempo songs slow the pace for listeners and highlight the lyrics. IAMX continues to mix it up with The Negative Sex, which demands attention with its loud, infectious beat. Nightlife centers more on the beat than on the lyrics, while conjuring images of sweaty bodies in a dark club, gyrating to the pulsating music. This erotic vibe is exemplified on the track The Alternative: “Hormones in key/ A slow whispered wet confession/ From our body heat/ There’s no return.” The album wraps up with a beautiful string version of the ninth track, Spit It Out.