Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Alt-J


I drove home from Birmingham tonight to see Alt-J perform at the godforsaken Masquerade.  I don't have time to blog about it now because I have to drive back early in the morning, but I'll just point out that Soundcheck's Maura Johnston and Chris Weingarten included Alt-J among their Worst Music Of 2012, their least favorite, least memorable and just plain worst music of the year, calling Alt-J a "mealy indie-rock gruel barely bolstered by thin, noodly attempts at 'prog rock,' paired with a sour whine."


On the other hand, All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen raved, "This record has sucked me into its trippy world like no other. Each pop/art/rock song here morphs from verse to chorus to bridge with deft precision. Rarely will 20 seconds go by before a tune unfolds with shifting arrangements, jolting starts and stops — solo voice to harmonies, solo instrument to full band — something we expect from prog-rock and rarely get with catchy pop music. The lyrics are the secret potion, though, dispensed in a way that feels cartoonish at times, film noir at other times. That exaggerated style creates a puzzle that unfolds with each listen, revealing bizarre stories and characters in phrases that are fresh and mysterious, funny and sometimes brutal. Listen over and over for lasting effect." 


I found it to be worth the drive.

2 comments:

  1. Bob Boilen's correct. I'm glad you didn't miss them, if only because it meant I wasn't the oldest person in the room. The next decision is whether or not to pay twice as much to see them at the Tabernacle later this year.

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  2. I have to agree, and wonder why anyone feels obligated to post a "Worst Music" article of any year to start with. What's wrong with those people?

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