Alt-J’s Unique Sound and Show Shine at the Greek Theatre

Gerry Doot

One of the most unique and inspiring bands to come out in the last five years has made an incredible mark on Los Angeles. A crowd in anticipation ran to their seats as the lights went down on Griffith Park’s Greek Theatre for the alt-J performance on Oct. 20. The darkness among the trees seems to be the perfect way to start an alt-J show, their sound being rooted in an often dark and classical sound driven by modern synths played organically.

Four rows of red lights sat behind the instruments of each of the four members of alt-J’s setup. The band plays in a horizontal row at the front of the stage rather than staggered in depth like the average band; after the first few bars of the first song, it’s pretty clear this is not a band that does much of anything like the average band.

After the release of their debut album “An Awesome Wave,” which won the U.K.’s prestigious Mercury Prize in 2012, alt-J toured extensively throughout the world. The group began gaining notoriety immediately, and rightfully so; they are one of the few acts that can literally make the claim to sound like no one else.

Singer Joe Newman’s creaky whisper seduces any listener, which is complemented by the harmonies and heavy synths and keys of Gus Unger-Hamilton. The two perform several a cappella numbers on each album and nail them live. Drummer Thom Green, aside from being a rhythmic freak of nature, also decided to stray from musical norms by having no cymbals on his drumkit and rather a slew of percussion: cowbells, tambourines, electronics, bongos, and other toys. The newest member of the group, Cameron Knight, plays samples, bass, and guitar, rounding out the unique group.

The soft pulsating of the song, “Hunger of the Pine,” opened the set, red lights glowing in the same rhythm. Each member was silhouetted with the beaming red tones stretching beyond them and into the crowd. While it was an entrancing start to the show, it left the audience blindsided as they continued their set.

“Fitzpleasure” is one of the heavier and more intense songs from their first record. It starts with what would be one of the cheesiest vocal parts if done by any other band. The dark and ominous “tra la la” is heard only vocally until the beat drops, and when it drops it hits hard. An intense and heavy synth filled the air in the Greek Theatre as the lights flickered cardinal red and flashes of white in various shapes and sizes. Songs that aren’t either metal or dubstep never seem to reach the intensity that this band produces in moments like this, and the set was filled with them.

The set continued with a healthy combination of their first and second records. The songs “Something Good,” one of their new singles “Left Hand Free,” and their symphonic pop piece of sentimental mastery “Dissolve Me” pulled the crowd in further and further as the show went along; each song was paired with a perfect set of lights to set the tone of the piece. “Something Good” featured chilling soft blue tones glowing around each band member as they grooved through the song. “Dissolve Me” had lights that built and faded with the mood of the song. The harmonies created such an emotional air throughout the open theatre, which continued to stun the crowd.

The sheer talent in this band is inexplicable. The music as a whole is presented as simplistic; four people actually play their parts live rather than to tracks, which would be done in any other band sounding remotely like this. When the notes are broken down, it is clear that alt-J d has a genuine understanding of music in a classical sense, composing pieces that go beyond pop, rock, EDM, or any sub-genre into which a band could be pigeon-holed. Their dynamics hit breathtaking levels both high and low while complementing the flow of the song.

As an encore, alt-J came out and played a spacey cover of Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day.” Countless artists have covered the prolific soul singer, but it takes real musicians to take a classic like this and turn it into something so different and so true to their own sound.

They closed with a succession of “Nara” and “Leaving Nara” from their latest album, followed by what might be their most well known song, “Breezeblocks.” Wrapping up a complete set of highs, lows, and a visual element that was perfectly thought out, alt-J proved why they have two headlining shows at major Southern California venues. This is one of the best bands to come out in years and they deserve every ounce of attention, credibility, and respect they are given.

alt-J performed at the Greek Theatre on Oct. 20.