alt-j - '3ww'

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Another great track from what is a quite remarkable new album from Alt-J.

alt-j - 'deadcrush'

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The new Alt-J album is an incredible collection of tunes. I think it was love at first hearing for me.

alt-j - 'adeline'

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The new Alt-J album is quite a dark affair.

alt-j - 'the gospel of john hurt'

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I've been listening to their new live album and this track is a stand out killer.

alt-j - 'every other freckle'

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A damned fine way to start the week.

alt-j - 'left hand free'

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This has a great West Coast stoner feel to it and just builds and builds into something quite magical. If this isn't a summer smash hit then I don't know what will be.

alt-j - 'fitzpleasure'

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How about this for a video from their debut album? It's directed by Guillaume Cagniard and considering it's a fairly low budget video the production is top notch.

alt-j - 'breezeblocks (b-ju remix)'

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The more I listen to this remix, the darker it gets.

alt-j - 'an awesome wave'

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I'd heard snippets before of this album but this has been the first chance to hear the entire album and I think the comparisons with XX, Maccabees, James, Gomez...even Stornoway are pretty accurate. Remember this is their debut album so it  really is amazing just how much of a finished article it sounds. They have a blues-y feel and it suits the narration style of the songwriting down to a tee. It's not as whimsical as I first imagined  but the harmonies are very soulful and they are all accomplished musicians that harks back to those early James albums, Strip-Mine in particular. Overall, the album has a lovely balance to it and one that I will keep coming back to when I get a chance to buy it (it is released this week).

I got into an online argument that I really shouldn't have over the weekend where I rushed to the defence of new music. Someone, rather pompously in my opinion, declared that modern acts are relatively talentless compared with those of yesteryear. It's bands such as Alt-J and others that make me so excited about music and they are the reason I spend far too much time hunting down and getting so evangelical about music. They are the raison d'être for this blog. 

Right, enough tub-thumping from me and I'll leave you in peace to listen to what could be one of the albums of the year.