Alt-J: An Awesome Wave

"Alt-J's debut album, 'An Awesome Wave,' might just be my favorite of 2012. Some might argue the quartet has a sound so unusual it's more a series of sounds than music. Describing them is a hurdle. The name is taken from the mathematical symbol delta (the triangle), meaning change; Alt-J are the keystrokes on a Mac computer that produce that symbol. Nate Chinen of The New York Times described them as 'a handsome alloy of dry acoustic timbre and reverberant effect, suggesting a very British convergence of texture-minded electronic music and psychedelic folk.' NPR Music said, 'The Mercury Prize-winning band (that can be difficult on first listen) plays angular, poetic music that takes unexpected turns, shifting gears when you least expect it.['] They came together in 2008 at Leeds University, where the four were students, and moved to Cambridge to record. The frontman, Joe Newman (lead vocals/guitar), Gwil Sainsbury (guitar/bass), Thom Green (drums) and Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboards) mix Mr. Newman's high pitched twangy voice with lyrics that sometimes are indiscernible. 'Alt-J surely understands that intrigue, however precious, is its best currency,' Mr. Chinen wrote" (Val Haller, "Music Match," New York Times, 1/16/13).

View catalog record here!