Pressure due to expectations is something that Alt-J has had to deal with over the first two years of their career. Coming out of Leeds in 2012 they were immediately dubbed the new Radiohead. Pretty heady stuff for this band that combines art and music. In their native England they became indie darlings and played heavily on the festival circuit. Popularity still at an “we’re indie cool” level. Now their sophomore album comes out and it is second verse same as the first. An eclectic combination of electronica and folk that oozes a too cool for school vibe. It is exactly what you might expect a band whose name is derived from a computer keyboard shortcut. It screams that they know more that you or I. In a neat rather than annoying way. Another way that they are smarter than your average bear is that they have managed to record an album that is largely filled with love songs without them becoming annoying. In other words, like everything else they do they are non-typical. They do odd without it seeming forced. The members of Alt-J just function on a different level than the rest of us and it seems like they are inviting us musically to join them. Then they throw you for an even bigger loop when in the song “Hunger of the Pine” they use a sample of Miley Cyrus singing…wow! To make sure you realized this is not the extent of who they are then they move into French vocals. Fromage coupled with culture. Not many bands could pull it off. Hats off!
Alt-J – This Is All Yours