This long-awaited second studio album by indie rockers Alt-J is wonderfully mysterious, surprising and well worth a listen!
From the beginning, “Intro” is paradoxically dark and hopeful all at once. Electro touches roll around in a sea of reverb and rich choir harmonies. The defining and unique aspect of the song is a distorted mandolin, which embellishes the track in an unexpectedly beautiful way.
That is what this band is all about: interesting and unique combinations of timbre.
The female vocals on “Hunger of the Pine” and the later tracks are a nice, albeit temporary change – not that the lead vocalist Joe Newmancould be upstaged by many of his contemporaries, anyway.
The album as a whole is cohesive and will certainly be part of my Rainy Weather Playlist. My standouts are the more up-beat, “Every Other Freckle” which just has the most weirdly descriptive yet seductive lyrics, and the piano-driven, electro “Bloodflood, Pt. II”.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mhgfXgwdls?feature=player_detailpage]
Definitely check out “This is All Yours” if you’re a fan of chill-out music with a seriously awesome edge.
By Charlotte Bouchereau
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