Alt-J
Every once and a while, you’ll listen to an album that you fall in love with from the very first listen. Alt-J’s An Awesome Wave was not one of these albums for me. The first time I heard the Cambridge-based band’s album, I couldn’t tell if I loved it or hated it — it was a completely unfamiliar experience. Uncertainty about the album soon developed into straight-up obsession. The band utilizes a vast range of styles and instruments that may seem haphazardly thrown in at first, but ultimately come together. Listeners will find themselves transfixed by the erratic and warbly voice of lead singer, Joe Newman. As I introduced Alt-J (named for the keystrokes needed to create a ∆ on a Mac) to as many friends as possible, I found it increasingly challenging to describe the band.
Many have called Alt-J “the new Radiohead.” In their review, Pitchfork wisely moved beyond this too-simple description and tried to distill the essence of Alt-J’s sound: “The notion of a male vocal that’s halfway between Macy Gray and a goose gibbering over beats discarded from Eskimo Snow-era WHY? is certainly a complex notion. Sometimes they sound like Bombay Bicycle Club playing in a submarine.”
The review goes on to discuss how the lyrics don’t seem to make any sense. This definitely felt like the case upon the first few listens. However, later I found that the lyrics in each song have huge significance, and it was rather startling when I finally made the connection.
The song “Fitzpleasure” is seemingly filled with lyrics that make no sense – “Tra-la-la, in your snatch fits pleasure, broom-shaped pleasure.” The entire song is actually inspired by a rather nasty scene in Hubert Selby Jr.’s novel Last Exit to Brooklyn, which involves a prostitute named Tralala, a group of men, and a broom.
Additionally, the song “Matilda” is actually homage to the climax of one of my favorite films, “Léon.” One of the catchiest songs on the album, “Breezeblocks,” references Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. Finally, “Taro” tells the love story between two war photographers, Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, specifically capturing Capa’s last moments before and after he steps on a landmine.
Fans of the album will find themselves transfixed by the stories of the songs as well as the sweeping, experimental sound. I’ll be honest: While some of the friends I introduced to Alt-J have become mega-fans, others were not so impressed. Ultimately, I highly recommend giving An Awesome Wave a few listens before deciding whether or not to catch them at Lollapalooza.
-- Rachel Aguiar
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