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ALBUM REVIEW: "RELAXER" by Alt-J

   RELAXER, the third full length from UK trio alt-J, is anything but relaxing, and a tight 40 minute exploration of sonic weirdness, catchy hooks and odd songwriting. It feels a lot more concise than 2014's This Is All Yours, which while being certainly ambitious was too long for it's own good, unnecessary weight washing out the great songs into an exhausting 55 minutes. RELAXER is a slim 8 songs at about 40 minutes, and benefits greatly from this extra layer of efficiency. The depths of the spiralling madness, sinister soundscapes and occasional menace are made more immediate and sharp simply by cutting the run-time; there doesn't seem to be a single second on RELAXER that could be cut. Despite this continuation and development of the more experimental side of alt-J's hard to pin down sound, they have retained a strong sense of melody across onto this new album, and it's this balancing act between the accessible and the weird that keeps the album always interesting but never completely alienating. RELAXER really is an album you can get your teeth into, with dense soundscapes you can pick apart time after time and keep pulling out new things. Despite being typically grandiose, there is an intimacy to the songs that underlies all the experimentation and eccentricities and is in sharper focus than on any of alt-J's previous releases. A really strong release from a group that are determined to keep following their own rules.

   Favourite Songs: In Cold Blood, Hit Me Like That Snare, Deadcrush and Pleader

    Least Favourite Song: House Of The Rising Sun

   Rating: A

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