Alt-J stays golden on sophomore release

Alt-J’s second album “This is All Yours” stay true to their original sound while exploring more subdued tones.

undertheradarmag.com

undertheradarmag.com

Christian Davis, Writer

Similar to the way people could not escape developing a strong opinion on Kanye West’s “Yeezus” when it dropped a little over a year ago, it was impossible to own a working radio in 2012 and not have some opinion on Alt-J. I knew people who lauded the indie-rock Englishmen as prodigies and others who would change the radio with ninja-like speed whenever “Breezeblocks” came on. While I aligned myself somewhere in-between these opposites, the bands sophomore record “This is All Yours” proves a testament to their own genius, however mad that genius may be.

Throughout the record, the band shows how comfortable they feel with being all over the map, even more so than their previous effort. Right off the bat, the album’s introduction, aptly titled “Intro” uses vocal tones reminiscent of the dark-electro vibes The Knife made famous. For example, a hauntingly beautiful guitar line during the last thirty seconds or so that ends way too soon. Fifth track and single “Left Hand Free” uses a bluesy guitar riff reminiscent of Black Keys records, a comparison that I did not think I would make while referring to an Alt-J album.

“This is All Yours” definitely takes a more subdued turn throughout the latter half of the record. “Warm Foothills” exists as one of the few indie-folk songs in 2014 that does not make me want to pull my hair out, or feel the need to placate its audience with people shouting “Hey!” in unison. Alt-J successfully navigates the radio-friendly spectrum on this track while still retaining their experimental qualities. The album toys with a Doors-esque psychedelia, especially on “Nara,” one of three tracks on the album that reference the Japanese city. Alt-J has followed in the footsteps of their influences on this second record, taking a band like Radiohead’s lead and continuing to refine and experiment with their sound while remaining universally appealing on the radio waves.

 

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