Alt-J – “The Dream” Album Review
The English band alt-J released their long-awaited album “The Dream” on Friday. This is the group’s fourth studio, which comes five years after their previous one.
It is very hard to categorize this band into one genre. They’ve been labeled as indie rock, alternative and electronic folk.
The inability to put Alt-J into one genre shows that they are one of the most unique sounding bands of this generation.
In their last two albums, the band strayed away from their indie-rock side and decide to explore their abilities in folk.
In “The Dream,” Alt-J has a rebirth of their indie rock style, and they touch on many subjects that people go through in their life including love, death, wealth and addiction.
The record starts with “Bane,” a track that features a mysterious guitar riff and drum beat that gets the listener hooked right from the beginning.
Lead singer Joe Newman sings about his love for cola, but he is using this as a metaphor for his desire for a woman. In the refrain he sings, “In the middle of the night, I get a craving and wake up for you.”
The album then transitions into a relaxing summer ballad called “U&ME” where Newman sings about reminiscing on a day during this season. He also suggests that he might have been on drugs in this memory, with lyrics referring to his luminescent tongue and that he felt “funky on a rolling boil.”
Next is one of the catchiest songs on the album, “Hard Drive Gold.” Newman shows off his great vocal range where he goes from a soft, soothing voice to exhilarating and electrifying in the pre-chorus.
The mellow and calming “Happier When You’re Gone” features a combination of drums, organ notes, violins and guitar riffs. These instruments and the powerful background vocals make this song a beautiful listen.
“The Actor” is a jarring retelling of the comedian John Belushi’s arrival to Los Angeles, struggle with cocaine addiction and his eventual death.
Alt-J then produces one of the most tear-jerking songs that they have ever made with “Get Better.” In the track, Newman reminisces about the memories he had with a partner who died in a car crash, and he struggles to cope with the reality that this person is gone.
The song features a mellow acoustic guitar as well as soft piano notes and a violin which brings a beautiful conclusion to the song.
After this track, the quality of the album takes a bit of a dip. The song “Chicago” starts very soft, but it features a pause followed by a bone-chilling guitar riff that slowly builds up. The problem is that this build-up doesn’t lead to anything exciting.
Newman’s voice remains soft when you expect some liveliness in it and the beat he sings over is very electronic and doesn’t match with the rest of the song.
“Philadelphia” is an impactful song about a person who is on the verge of death after an attempted murder. It features Newman’s amazing vocal ability with another beautiful combination of instruments.
The one drawback of the track is that it features a woman singing “Philadelphia” like she is in an opera throughout the song. This doesn’t match with Newman’s voice or the instrumentals at all.
The next song is about a partner who is very empathetic and is always there for Newman. But in “Walk a Mile,” Newman uses a very ghostly voice that doesn’t change throughout the six-minute song.
The album then features a quick interlude with alluring vocals from Newman. But this could have been turned into an excellent full-length song.
Throughout the next song, “Losing My Mind,” Newman’s vocals are very mellow, but there are continuous reverberated guitar notes that don’t match well with his voice.
The last song, “Powder”, includes soothing vocals, a slow drum beat and the sounds of waves which make the track very calming. It also includes a bridge, which is narrated by the drummer Thom Green, that depicts a man who tells the listeners that he is in love with a girl who is selling him cologne. This is a very relaxing song that is a great ending to the album.
“The Dream” is a great depiction of the many highs and lows that people go through in their lives. It covers situations ranging from sexual desire to the moments before death.
Despite being known mainly for their folk music, Alt-J gets back to what they do best. They excel in making indie rock music with hints here and there of electronic folk.
Newman shows off his amazing vocal abilities throughout the album and the band shows their versatile instrumental skills. They produce beautiful musical combinations of strings, drums, woodwinds and synths to make a very strong setup for the vocals.
“The Dream” is a project full of emotion and is debatably the best work that this band has produced.
Alt-J should continue to lean towards alternative rock in their music and Newman should continue to use his one-of-a-kind voice to create great projects like this.
Rating: 7/10
Reviewer’s Favorite Songs: “Hard Drive Gold” and “Get Better”
Reviewer’s Least Favorite Songs: “Chicago” and “Walk a Mile”
Jayson O’Connell is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jbo5216@psu.edu
