Photo credit: Benjamin Wick
Pop music is inherently divisive, particularly because of its cultural reverberations. So as Alt-J whizzed through a 70-minute set Wednesday night at a sold-out Riverside Theater, the band’s tendency to constantly shape-shift resonated as a clever way to insulate themselves from the type of criticisms that can quickly eat away at a band's confidence. Of course selling out a theater, in itself, is not reflective of a progressive knack, nor is it indicative of a band's actual talent, but in the brief moments when Alt-J pieced it all together, they looked capable of injecting some welcome life into the often stilted realm of arena-pop.
The set's heavy-hitters came early, a bold choice for a band with as much middling material as Alt-J, but one that felt necessary. Serving as the sustenance needed to carry the crowd through their less-defined and compositionally redundant non-hits, openers “Hunger Of The Pine” and “Fitzpleasure” were followed shortly after with “Left Hand Free.” As a paneled screen displayed well-choreographed bursts of color and static behind them, Alt-J delivered a precise, professional, yet remarkably subdued set that left only the drummer noticeably sweaty—maybe a few in the crowd wondering what it would take for the band to fully unhinge.
Alt-J's attempts to pander to the pop music zeitgeist, epitomized best by the Miley Cyrus-sampling “Hunger Of The Pine” and lead singer Joe Newman's exhausting penchant of relying on overdrawn “oh's,” can leave one to wonder if the band's more immersive songs had been manufactured in a lab, designed to capitalize on the tastes currently reigning among industry funded focus groups. Toward the middle of their set, their sonic palette often felt recycled and dulled, particularly during “Matilda,” “Bloodflood” and “The Gospel of John Hurt.” That’s an issue they’ll need to iron out if they ever hope to become truly captivating performers.
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Regardless of any doubts about their intentions, after Wednesday’s show there was no denying that Alt-J have, at the very least, the scent of something special. In an astonishingly short amount of time, they have managed to mold a commendably fun sound that feels original despite its faults. On the other hand, it's hard not to wonder what lies beyond their lack of songwriting consistency and the prevailing sense that they're in over their heads. Will they be a band that ultimately flounders or, worse, remains stagnant and unwilling to challenge themselves creatively? Or is Alt-J a group, that after they've sifted through the artistic perplexities of instant fame, comes to realize that beneath their insulated sound lies a definitive voice worthy of their already massive platform?
