This Is All Yours - Alt J (2014)
The first Alt J album was a math rock / indietronic powerhouse. The followup is quite a bit more sedate, but no less high-concept.
Aside from playing together as a tight rock trio (their bassist left just before this record, leaving them a trio), they aren’t afraid of the overdub. Lots of interesting instruments and sounds are grafted over the main tracks, creating a hazy mix of layers that you can drill into as deeply as you have the attention span for.
Alt J are one of those bands that just crept into my consciousness. I don’t have an origin story for when I started listening (I feel like Left Hand Free got stuck in the end credits of one of the Iron Man movies while I was waiting dutifully for my dumb MCU post-credits fix, but I’m pretty sure I already knew the tune). Like a lot of artists, I don’t have (take) the time to dig further in, though I bet I would enjoy it.
Tracks I Liked
Nara - a moody and intense dirge
Left Hand Free - one of the band’s best songs
The Gospel of John Hurt - a bluesy growler that catches your attention
