It's not that I mind inflected vocals, reverbey arpeggios, (slightly) tweaked rhythms, and synthy washes, its just that those are so often crutches for really boring music that has nothing else to offer. Washed Out and The Drums are the most obvious recent offenders that come to mind, but there are dozens of bands making the same indistinct, mushy, sub-Animal-Collective stone soup without bringing anything new to the table.
So as Alt-J's album unfolded, I felt the hammer cocking in my mind as each trope received its checkbox in turn. But then, lo and behold, the band actually did something interesting with those parts, building a completely different model than the Indie Kit instructions dictated. The dynamics are back in indie rock, with parts dropping in and out for dramatic effect, setting the stage for moments of fearless clarity. Finally a band bold enough to put a melodic line out there and shine a light on it, to darken the entire house and hit a key moment with a blazing spot, to give musical moments their close up instead of hiding them in a bustling ensemble cast.
Which isn't to say this isn't busy, but it's more The Life Aquatic, with its awe-inspiring setpieces, than the comparitively muddy, plotless Tenenbaums that other similar bands put on offer*.
Hooky, inventive, surprising: remember when this stuff was common in indie rock and roll? Maybe there's a little life in the old girl yet 4.5/5
* I've surely retained less than 10% of people with that, losing the 50% who don't know those movies well enough to get my point, and the 40% who inexplicably prefer Tenenbaums to TLA.
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