• About
  • Editorial Board
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
The Wellesley News -
  • News and Features
    • Four Cases of COVID-19 Reported During Winter Break
      Four Cases of COVID-19 Reported During Winter Break
    • Students With Medically Restricted Diets Struggle to Eat On Campus
      Students With Medically Restricted Diets Struggle to Eat On Campus
    • Students find new ways to celebrate Diwali
      Students find new ways to celebrate Diwali
    • News
      • News in Brief
      • Nation & World
      • President’s Corner
      • Senate Report
    • Features
      • Alumnae Spotlight
      • Eye on Science
      • Faculty Focus
      • LGBTQIA+ Column
  • Opinions
    • Wellesley, why can’t you meet our dietary needs?
      Wellesley, why can’t you meet our dietary needs?
    • The block system is a joke
      The block system is a joke
    • Spineless nonpartisanship: how the Girl Scouts convinced me they no longer care about girls
      Spineless nonpartisanship: how the Girl Scouts convinced me they no longer care about girls
    • Staff Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
    • The Elephant in the Room
  • Arts
    • Music Performance Courses Adapt to an Altered Semester
      Music Performance Courses Adapt to an Altered Semester
    • Ben Wheatley’s adaptation of “Rebecca” fails to deliver compared to its classic counterpart
      Ben Wheatley’s adaptation of “Rebecca” fails to deliver compared to its classic counterpart
    • “Dash & Lily” Find Love, Stranded
      “Dash & Lily” Find Love, Stranded
    • Arts In The News
    • Reviews
    • Music Peek
  • Health and Wellness
    • No image
      Athletic impacts of Covid-19
    • No image
      A new kind of PE
    • No image
      Maintaining wellness as the cold sets in
    • Athlete of the Week
    • Boston Sports Update
    • The Vegan Digest
    • The SHE Corner
  • Miscellanea
    • No image
      Remote students experience existential crises; change class years in email signatures
    • President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
      President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
    • Your next on-campus romance isn’t going to work out
      Your next on-campus romance isn’t going to work out
    • The Artichoke
    • The Dose
    • The Olive Branch
    • Multimedia
      • Galleries
      • Infographics
      • Videos
By Galen Chuang Arts, ReviewsOctober 1, 2014

Alt-J’s “This Is All Yours” showcases band’s emotional growth

In 2012, the British indie-rock sensation alt-J stepped almost instantly into the spotlight with their first and critically acclaimed album, “An Awesome Wave.” Last week, the band released their highly anticipated sophomore album, “This is All Yours.” Though still filled with moody synthesizer hooks characteristic of the band’s style, the new record marks a point of musical growth for the young Leeds-based trio.

“This is All Yours,” structured similarly to “An Awesome Wave,” is intended, perhaps, to be a conceptual sequel. Both albums begin with an “Intro,” have at least one instrumental interlude, contain a version of “Bloodflood” and consist of 14 tracks. With some exceptions, lead singer Joe Newman’s crooning voice floats over gritty synth and punchy percussion, though the synthesizer is less overbearing. The new album, though still dark and catchy in true alt-J spirit, is slightly lighter than its first album; the nostalgic “Arrival in Nara,” the twangy, country-esque “Left Hand Free” and the blissful “Warm Foothills” are clear deviations in style for the band. While themes in “An Awesome Wave” include gang rape and the true story of a photographer’s tragic death, “This is All Yours” focuses more on relationships and love, with lyrics ranging from the sweet — “love is the warmest color” — to the erotic — “turn you inside out to lick you like a crisp packet.”

In an additional departure from “An Awesome Wave,” the new album evokes a distinctly pagan atmosphere, with churchlike vocal harmonies, haunting cries, acoustic folk instrumentals and lyrical references to nature. The songs “Arrival in Nara,” “Nara” and “Leaving Nara” are in reference to Nara, a city in Japan known for its wild deer. “Hunger of the Pine” contains a sample from Miley Cyrus’s “4×4,” with the pop star singing, “I’m a female rebel.”

With catchy hooks and a darkly electrifying sound, “This is All Yours” is, after a quick listen, quite similar to “An Awesome Wave.” Yet there is something a little more optimistic, joyful and mature about alt-J’s second record that sets it apart from the band’s first release two years ago. It is clear that the trio does not attempt to exceed its own natural style; each track is the raw representation of a unique emotion — be it desire, anger, contentment, nostalgia or hope — expressed in the band’s own terms.

Share on

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Previous articleDavis Museum opening spotlights faculty work
Next articleIn the spotlight: Alison Savage talks art and inspiration

You may also like

Music Performance Courses Adapt to an Altered Semester

Ben Wheatley’s adaptation of “Rebecca” fails to deliver compared to its classic counterpart

“Dash & Lily” Find Love, Stranded

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

Top Articles

Sorry. No data so far.

Recent Tweets

Tweets by @Wellesley_News

The independent student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901.

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

  • About
  • Editorial Board
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
COPYRIGHT © 2021 THE WELLESLEY NEWS
Back to top