Absolute drivel,; a mixture of whiney synth pop and mediocre melodia ....transient rock? get a grip do you even know what rock is? This is peurile. People love to give tags to things, "nerdy", "warbly", "insecure". No, this is silly voices, and whining over simple beats and "layering" is not a few chords. Jesus, is this what popular musis is becoming, different just for the sake of it with not even a nod to talent? X factor may be **** but at least it knows what it is, and winning a music prize does not make a band earth-shatteringly original or flawless. I guess i gave it 3 because a bit like Damien Hirst, they have fooled a lot of people who love to think they are all rather clever. If it were dinner i'd feed it to my dog.… Expand

With Alt J, I once again appreciated U.K's taste in music. From Tessellate to Taro (Taro might be the best track of 2012) and Bloodflood, An Awesome Wave is easily the best indie album of 2012.

So underwhelming as to produce a soporific effect. The latest industry inside joke? ... Yes.


Laura Snapes of Pitchfork said it all-- 'overstuffed and messy, and so overworked that what life there may once have been now exists as a kind of primordial paste.'

Simply stunning.......at first, I was hooked by only one or two songs (Tessellate & Something Good), but with each listen, I discover more depth and more to like.

Their sound is intriguing. When I first listening I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I couldn't stop listening. For about a month straight. And the more I listened, the more I appreciated the uniqueness. Fast forward a few months and I'm still as intrigued as ever.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A boring, schizophrenic attack on both the ears and the mind. The album is unfocused and contains nonsensical, absurd lyrics (see Tessellate) sung by a whiney, pretentious snob (Breezeblocks and Interlude 1 are the most annoying vocal deliveries I've ever heard). The reason for a 1 instead of 0 is because of the dull, but interesting experimentation involving the instruments. Wild Beasts and The xx do this kind of thing (odd vocals/experimental music) a lot better, Alt-J are just rip-offs.… Expand

Although 'An Awesome Wave' not perfect, Alt-J have managed to blend together the abrasive synths, "nerdy" attitude and delicate instrumentation effectively. However, lead singles 'Breezeblocks' and 'Fitzpleasure' dominate the attention paid to this album and feel so much bigger and better than some of the fillers.

No other album this year has managed to capture my attention as well as this one. It blends catchy and addictive melodies and a unique voice with a very new sound.

Didn't take long for this album to really grow on me. The musicianship feels like they've been a band for years and have recorded several great albums, but this their debut album. That's impressive. The only need for improvement could be the lyrics, but once this album sinks into your head, it's quite easy to overlook that. All In All, An Awesome Wave starts out strong and ends on a great note. I recommend this record.… Expand

Even the intro on the album reveals the nature of the CD . Alternative rock compositions, mixed with a variety of electronic inserts and vocal filters give the songs a special character, which sometimes takes strange forms - which is evident even after a bit psychedelic a capella song "(Interlude 1)" or "Tessallate". Each composition on the disc has something innovative to offer, so that time spent on "An Awesome Wave" goes very quickly.… Expand

One Of a best album of this year.

Simplement agréable, on y retrouve diverses influences, la voix rappelle les Fleet Foxes, bref un album entre indie rock, pop, electronic, et hip hop, où l'on retiendra Alt-J.

Terribly overrated album. No substance whatsoever, they are trying to be weird just for the sake of being weird and by ripping off other bands styles. Meaningless lyrics. It's like they are trying to accomplish something by going through shortcuts to appeal to the mainstream, it is simply sad. People will like this band because it is "so random XD". Overproduced piece of garbage. I really hope this band dies. I hated this album so much that it made me come and put a negative user review as I saw only the people who liked it reviewed it.… Expand

Who would have thought that one of the year

A new band from Cambridge is pushing the limits of alternative rock to the edge. With transient beats, folksy guitars, layered vocals, and unpredictable song structures, Alt-J

Mercury Prize Winner this year. Debut album. They

First off, I would like to state that this album is a complete success. The lyrical talent of this band is incredible, and all of the songs have interesting meanings and almost all have "plots" of their own. From references to books, movies and common life events, this album is simply a joy to listen to. It's upbeat and quite entertaining to listen to.

It sure is catchy, and fun on first listen, but subsequent listens reveal a lack of depth. The band has a couple of ideas that they spread out through the album. It gets old quickly, and is not something a patrician listener is likely to remember for much longer than a year.