Alt-J, meaning the delta symbol you get from a Mac were one of the first artists I had on this blog. Their second offering is made to little fanfare, as far as I am aware, considering they bagged the Mercury Music Prize in 2012 and an Ivor Novello song writing gong for the album, ‘An Awesome Wave’.
Although I passed no comment because I didn’t know what I was doing at the beginning of this blog, ‘Awesome Wave’ is a fine piece of very nicely produced and layered work that is and was innovative, different and very interesting indeed.
This too is a nice piece of well produced, thoughtful work although for a Group who like their ‘Intros’ and ‘Interludes’, this album does feel like bit of an interlude in itself. Sort of more of the same but a thoughtful change in direction and pace.
My stand out tracks included ‘Every other freckle’, and ‘Hunger of the pine’, that includes a Miley Cyrus sample. There is loop in the album referring to Nara, a Japanese City. Arrival, Nara and leaving make up a large part of the music, and it passes me by. Otherwise this is nice music, however the question for me, having heard it on Spotify, is will I go and buy it? Answer, probably not.
Intro – **
Arrival in Nara – **
Nara – **
Every other freckle -***
Left hand free – ***
Garden of England (interlude) –
Choice kingdom – ***
Hunger of the pine – ***
Warm Foothills – **
Gospel of John Hurt – **
Pusher – ***
Bloodflood pt II – ***
Leaving Nara – **
(Lovely Day – ***)
Released – 15/9/14