alt-J - The Dream
Indie Rock – Released February 11, 2022 – 12 songs, 49 mins
REID
Let’s start this week off with a fun fact. Depending on where you do your research, this English, indie rock trio’s name is actually meant to be the Greek letter, delta. Or this symbol – Δ. That’s what you get when you type the command, ‘alt-J’ on a Mac. Pretty weird if you ask me. Turns out weird is their thing. Delta often refers to change, which I spoke highly of on a recent review. After an incredible first release, An Awesome Wave (2012), alt-J is known for change. In a bad way. This Is All Yours (2014) and RELAXER (2017) fell short of the standard set by its predecessor. While Left Hand Free from the former is a sweet tune, the albums lack that it-factor they exploded onto the scene with. The loss of guitarist, Gwil Sainsbury, led to a debilitating product. What will history say about The Dream?
In short… alt-J is back! Right out the gate they hit you with Bane, the album’s best track for my money. The song is basically broken up in two parts as it creeps along with a melodic guitar riff from Joe Newman. Harmonic vocals then lead it to an abrupt halt before picking back up in epic fashion. The delivery of the below lyrics by Newman is special. With swagger.
Thirsty one looks stunned
Dumbfounded by the sizzle of the bubbles on the tongue
66 times underwater somersault
Pool cool, cooling by the side of the swimming pool
The rules don't apply to you 'cause you've got the buzz
66 times underwater somersault
Upbeat tracks like U&ME and Hard Drive Gold are fun as they are more geared towards the casual listener. The real beauty is when you get to the trio of Chicago, Philadelphia and Walk A Mile and can sit back and groove. The chilling keyboard, infusion of strings and gospel-like harmony sections contribute to the wide array of sonic capabilities possessed by the band.
alt-J is undoubtedly an acquired taste. Luckily, The Dream has a little bit of everything. The attention to the finer details is fascinating and this album has a memorable mix.
Overall Rating – 8.7/10
Favourite Song - Bane
ROZ
“You’ve never listened to alt-J before?! I could have sworn you have.” Reid says, as my associates question why I have not, until this moment, listened to anything made by the indie rock band from Leeds. If I said that becoming a part of Too Sweet Reviews has broadened my musical horizons, it would honestly be an understatement. In my mind there’s no time like the present to make up for past mistakes, and with that I begin my week-long journey deep into the grooves of alt J’s fourth studio venture: The Dream.
There are some albums that require you to take out the big guns, and The Dream is one of those albums. A self-proclaimed audiophile; every playthrough becomes more and more enjoyable as I marvel in all the little details throughout each song. Right out of the gate, Bane hits the listener with a pleasant vibrato effect and comb filter EQ that bends and breaks the vocal performance into its very own instrument. The atmosphere in Losing My Mind was nothing short of intoxicating - the use of space to invoke depth and breadth within the mix combined with the pacing to control the energy throughout the song was some of the best I’ve heard in recent memory. Fantastic arranging, mixing, and use of layering to create texture.
It’s not all sonic trickery and tedious digital production, however - The Dream is very much a guitar-driven album that excels at slower tempos (U&ME, Get Better) as well as fast tempos (Hard Drive Gold, Chicago). The trio really starts to get weird with it as they pass the halfway mark, with track elements ranging from medieval/opera-style arrangements (Philadelphia), old-timey barber shop acapellas (Walk a Mile), and even a sea shanty (Delta). Regardless of where this ship steers, the boys make it sound good - it is this ability to succeed even within the strangest of soundscapes that impresses me the most.
Strikingly unique and full of character, alt-J’s The Dream can be summed up as a perfectly strange experience. Since I found that the album benefitted from multiple listens, my biggest fear is that its unorthodox pacing and direction will scare off a few too many people. Fears aside, I took solace in knowing that the ones who enjoyed it would really enjoy it, as I had. Is this what I’ve been missing out on? An Awesome Wave, here I come.
Overall Rating: 8.6/10
Favourite Song: Philadelphia
LUNDI
When Alt-J burst on the scene with their critically acclaimed debut An Awesome Wave they were pegged as one of the most refreshing and innovative bands in music. They were the next big thing. Fast forward 10 years to their latest effort The Dream and the original claim is far away from the reality of the situation. Let’s dig in.
The Dream, while better than Alt-J’s previous two efforts, simply lacks any of the enthusiasm and pace that made the band so appealing from the beginning. For every track which the band feel rejuvenated and finding their way, there’s two that drag the momentum to a halt.
The band certainly aren’t the first group that have struggled to recapture music magic of the past but from the point of view of the average listener the majority of their efforts continue to feel and sound like debut album B-Side material. Overall The Dream lacks any inspiration and sounds a lot like a band that is in desperate need of stripping it all down in order to build it back up again.
It may be unfair to compare albums but when boiling down the bands discography The Dream is so very similar in concept and structure that it becomes almost unavoidable. With that being said, when analyzing the album in a vacuum there are some redeeming qualities worth mentioning. Happier When You’re Gone is a tight four minute track with a soothing layered melody, the mid song breakdown on Chicago is eargasmic, and Get Better is the best overall effort of recent memory by the band. This trio of tracks signal that the light is still on, but the overall album compilation sees that light flickering at best Funny enough though new listeners to Alt-J with an ear for the obscure may end up loving this album.
Unfortunately the days of being excited for an Alt-J album are all but officially gone. The Dream has a couple of standout tracks and a few bright moments that may do enough to appease die hard fans but it does little to move the band back towards their debut album highs.
Overall Rating: 5.8/10
Favourite Song: Happier When You’re Gone