alter-natives / albums

The departure of saxophonist Eric Ungar from the Alter-Natives changed the band's sound in more ways than just the loss of an instrument. On Buzz, the group turned from a jazzy sound to one with more connections to progressive and space rock, albeit an unusually concise, powerful, and disciplined version of those genres. Only "Blackhole" gets a bit self-indulgent with the guitar noise during the extended middle section, and even that is more than compensated for by the way the band pulls together for the last few minutes of the track and returns to the delicate main theme. Buzz is an excellent album with inspired playing and some memorable tunes; it's a shame it was the last release from the band. ~ Richard Foss, All Music Guide