30 May 2012

Album Review: Alt-J - An Awesome Wave


Prince famously changed his name to a symbol. Alt-J started out as one, as their real name is in fact a triangle. The geometry theme runs through their artwork and infiltrates their lyrics: “triangles are my favourite shape, three lines where two points meet” on ‘Tessellate’. Although this sounds like a gimmick, Alt-J can be forgiven - An Awesome Wave has been met by a tide of praise which is completely deserved.
From the first softly shifting chords and ticking percussion in the ‘Intro’, there is a quiet intensity to the band’s sound. The theme is echoed later on the sombre yet lyrical ‘Matilda’. ‘Breezeblocks’ is a rare burst into a rockier style, but this is about as aggressive as it gets. There’s a sense that this is not a singer-and-others setup, rather a partnership of equals. Such an arrangement suits Joe Newman’s unique and understated voice which is complemented by the intricate harmonies, whilst Gus Unger-Hamilton’s shimmering piano arpeggiation on ‘Something Good’ is the closest thing to an ostentatious guitar solo. ‘Ms’ is beautifully austere, particularly when the subtle drumming and guitar fall away to expose the vocals, and the tumbling rhythms on ‘Bloodflood’ challenge the ear.
They resist comparisons to other bands, claiming that if they were too similar to anyone else they “wouldn’t be doing their job”. So many different sounds emerge on the album, from the close-harmony chants which open ‘Fitzpleasure’ to rumbling bass drones on ‘Dissolve Me’, that it’s impossible to fit An Awesome Waveinto a genre-shaped box. The polyphonic soundscapes of Mike Oldfield are the closest musical reference point, but such a comparison fails to appreciate that in crafting such an distinctive sound, Alt-J haven’t forgotten to make great music at the same time. 
Originally published at Dale & Co.

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