SOUND BITES

  It's been just under a decade now since Alt-J burst onto the scene, armed with a tidal wave of Great British Hype and backed up by their own art school ostentatiousness; An Awesome Wave thrilled indie critics eager for the chance to break the next Arcade Fire, and their impressive (albeit somewhat try-hard) debut went on to earn them a rabid fanhood and the 2012 Mercury Prize (Britain's annual award for Best Album) and the prestige that comes with it. They followed it up two years later with This Is All Yours , which saw them diving headfirst into their dullest pretenses and making a begrudging concession to their American label; Left Hand Free , at first spoken of disparagingly by its creators, would be more accepted by the band once it became a hit, helping to sell a record that wouldn't be nearly as easy to sell without it and culminating with a Grammy nomination and a headlining gig at Madison Square Garden. For their next trick, 2017's Relaxer , they were a litt...

Well, if nothing else, Alt-J's third record is odd. After taking the indie rock world by storm five years ago with An Awesome Wave and putting it to sleep two years later with This Is All Yours , Relaxer sets out to do whatever the hell it wants, whether that's bringing in a string section, referencing binary code in its lyrics, delivering a somber quasi-cover of House of the Rising Sun , tossing off a garage rocker that includes counting in Japanese and a barrage of F-bombs (yet curiously censors "fisting"), or getting right with the lord. Suffice to say, there's a lot to unpack on this record, which works both to its benefit and detriment. On one hand, there are genuine thrills to be had; 3WW comes off a bit self-important but is undeniably endearing. After a few listens, In Cold Blood begins to reveal itself as a damn fine single. Deadcrush dresses its odd subject matter with the most infectious beat they've employed since their debut. Last Year i...

I'm sure it's very frustrating for a band to painstakingly create an album only to have their American label voice apprehension at the finished product. But it's quite another thing to respond by pairing what they described in an interview as a "joke riff" with "drums as cliched as possible", and making references to American truckers and NRA rallies, people and situations they envisioned this appalling failed attempt at art appealing to. Which is all to say, Alt-J got really, really defensive about their indie cred upon creating something that could potentially steer them toward wider acceptance. The song in question (that, I should note, they have no one but themselves to blame for) is Left Hand Free , an admittedly tossed off song that Alt-J whipped up in an attempt to appease Atlantic Records. It got a mixed response from their fan base, which prompted the disparaging comments (comments they would later backpedal on, presumably once they saw the do...

ALT-J Fitzpleasure From: An Awesome Wave Released: September 18 As odd and occasionally pretentious as Alt-J's debut album can be, there's something to be said for its stubborn accessibility. Take standout track Fitzpleasure ; it takes elements of folk, rock and damn-near dubstep, smashes them together and dares you not to nod your head. An Awesome Wave is full of weird and wonderful moments like this; as they hash out some of their more indulgent moments and hone their songwriting chops, they should be a band to watch out for... which is saying something considering they just won the 2012 Mercury Prize for the UK's best album.

The latest British buzz band to get way too much praise way too soon is ∆ (aka alt-J; don't bother unless you have a Mac, I had to copy and paste it from Windows Character Map). Having just released their debut album An Awesome Wave at home in late May, ∆ has already had critical accolades lauded upon them and seen fans arrive in droves, foaming at the mouth. It's the same kind of overwhelming build-up that can only be manufactured by the Brits, and usually leads to the casual listener being underwhelmed.