Ten years got behind alt-j’s seminal record, An Awesome Wave. The still-fresh sound, now topped with nostalgia and ten years of collecting new listeners, filled the Fox in Oakland to the rails. The record flummoxed reviewers when it dropped. Did they love Joe Newman’s creaky tessellating shrill, yet palatable scree? They were confused and transfixed. The romance and journey of each song alt-j spins are solidly complicated layers. It could easily be written off as a neo/hippy/gen x-z Dj tricks. It’s simply an unexpected sound and a labor to hear all the detail packed into such a small scape of one song. The lyrics are not the first thing a listener will hear. A world music or drum and bass mask is removed upon several listens, then the intimacy of Joe’s lyrics are more decipherable. Sigur Ros comes on like a drug in a similar way. An opium lull takes over the body before making sense of what’s being said. The assumed keyboard or effects are often woven tapestries of one note sung over and over by Newman, Unger-Hamilton, and Sonny. It’s incredibly well thought out. Syncopated laser lights beat along to bass lines and drums. Chris Koruda style. Props to the lighting guy they have with them on this limited run.
The band was really in it like I’ve never seen them before. While they aren’t much for audience interaction, the smiles and small gestures of gratitude they showed the roaring multi-gen crowd were personal subtle, and affable. I know PJ Harvey and several other Brit acts don’t give out that kind of intimacy from stage either. Happy enough to see them stateside while also having questioned the anonymity they have played up in past shows.
This time all aspects were balanced and measured for a perfect night of music.
The sound at the Fox has been dodgy in the past, but since the return after COVID, all shows so far have sounded crisp from all positions in the venue. I take this seriously, as I once left a Neutral Milk Hotel show for shrillness. Not to mention not being able to translate what Jack Black was saying to Kyle Gass from a soundboard adjacent area one very disappointing night. The Fox is consistent for now.
They recreated the record perfectly and gave the audience tracks from all 3 albums. “U & ME,” “Deadcrush,” “Every Other Freckle,” “In Cold Blood,” “Hard Drive Gold,” and “Left Hand Free” all followed the beat-for-beat excellence. All of this has me thinking they will drop some new material soon. They are fairly prolific and have toured the COVID drop they generously gave. So here’s to a night with sound, lights, and audience all at 100 percent.
Setlist
Intro (An Awesome Wave)
? (Ripe & Ruin)
Tessellate
Breezeblocks
Something Good
Dissolve Me
Matilda
Ms
Fitzpleasure
Bloodflood
Taro
Hand-Made
2nd set:
The Actor
Deadcrush
U&ME
The Gospel of John Hurt
Every Other Freckle
In Cold Blood
Encore:
Hard Drive Gold
Left Hand Free
