Alt-j’s newest release, The Dream, kind of snuck up on me! Sure, I heard at least two singles on Alt Nation, but I was under the impression that these were one-off releases. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised when I learned of the bands fourth full-length effort getting released in February!
Do not fear, this album still had all the small quirks that make the band uniquely special, but it had a bit more of a calmer feel to it. I’m used to some louder tracks by the band, where this time around I felt really nice listening to this album. It was a good experience from front to back and I can picture myself playing this through time and time again in the future if I really want a mood-stabilizing listen. But as I said, do not fear that they’ve lost their strangeness. In fact, the opening track, “Bane,” takes a real musical journey, almost as if it’s several songs in one. It reminds me of how Twenty One Pilots “Ode to Sleep” was able to weave in and out of different styles. This song also seemed to almost exclusively be about enjoying Coca-Cola. Strange indeed…
The lead single off this record “U+Me” presented itself as the usual fare from the band, being catchy and touting a quick tempo, but then they manage to completely flip their sound on another single, “Get Better.” This song strips down any of the extras that come from most of their other work and is just an acoustic guitar with singer Joe Newman’s soft vocals. Full disclosure, I listened to this single back when it came out and it’s devastating. Beautiful, but heart-wrenching, and I didn’t really want to put myself through that again, so I skipped it this time through. Still, you should most definitely listen to it and be moved to tears like I was. That’s perhaps one of the most personal songs I have ever listened to.
Even with that complete departure, the band is able to loop you back in to intricate melodies and striking harmonies. My personal favorite off the record was also the longest song offered, “Walk a Mile.” Again, I liked the journey this song took you through, but when it got to the part where Newman and Gus Unger-Hamilton sing “In between waves, you hold me down” over and over again, at first I laughed at how blunt that turn of phrase was, but then it hooked me in like all of the other songs they’ve released in the past. “Happier When You’re Gone” is another track that stood out to me immediately with its catchy lyrics and upbeat delivery.
Overall, I was really happy listening to this album and hope to get my hands on it very soon. Those nervous about new music from artists have nothing to fear here from alt-j, as they manage to stay true to their roots while also deepening the experience. Go check this out!