The Dream. Alt-J

For many people the ultimate Alt-J album is its debut, 'An Awesome Wave'. For me it was the band's second album 'This Is All Yours'. It was the first LP I bought, new, in over a quarter of a century and played it endlessly for months on end. The third LP 'Relaxer' was fine but did not have an impact like 'This Is All Yours' had, of course I should add. How could it? It was not even close.

After years of silence The Dream is here, album number 4. It is impossible to have the impact that album from 2014 had on me (in January 2015) but this is nice alright. For me it's easy to point to the reason it's oh so nice. The Dream contains that mystery 'Relaxer' was lacking. The combination of Joe Newman's voice and the layers underneath and around it created by Gus Unger - Hamilton is fully active, resulting in delicate creations of musical compositions that appeal and speak to me.

The delicacy of several of the songs compel listening, to take notice. With the opening I'm directly on familiar ground. My Alt-J strings are tickled no little. From that moment onwards so many details come forward. Not only pleasing my Alt-J strings but amazing them as well. The experience seems to be expanded, while at the same time a sweet pop feel enters the mix. Take what happens in 'Philadelphia'. You will find an opera singer, sounding like a sample. A guitar played with a minimum of notes. Synths and strings that follow each other closely. When drummer Thom Sunny Green finally joins, the song gets a firm body for only a short period of time. All drops away again, to return for a swooshing interlude with strings emulating The Verve's biggest hit, 'Bittersweet Symphony'. To end with a sprinkling of mystery, undefined sounds ending the song. All that in 3.30 minutes and there's much more, I haven't even touched upon.

Alt-J is not afraid to experiment on The Dream, where in hindsight that is what was lacking on 'Relaxer'. It played too much on safe there. Not here. The trio does what it is good at, excuse me, extremely good at. Playing songs that deep down are something that started at a kitchen table with a guitar or piano and from there is changed inside out, upside down, driven over by a car, sent to the moon and back without a heatshield, to be rebuilt into what we hear today. Like 'Walk A Mile'. Starting totally bare, to slowly evolve into something resembling a "normal" song. Except that Alt-J mystery is fully, totally there.

Having been able to listen to The Dream for a few weeks, I feel not only privileged to have been able to hear an album that did not exist until today, I know for certain which album I have to buy as soon as possible. The Dream adds itself to a list of great albums released in 2022 so far. If the year keeps it up, this is going to be an exceptional year in music. Filling a top 10 is already no issue and it's only half February! The Dream is certainly a part of that top 10, with ease.

Wout de Natris