alt-J Brisbane Review @ The Riverstage 2017

The stage was divided into thirds.

Each panel was separated by rows of vertical bars, jail-like, inactive though setting an exciting precedent for what already appeared to be a spectacular light show.

alt-J entered promptly, on time but totally silent, carefully taking their instruments and immediately delving into the intriguing beginnings of ‘3WW’.


Inarguably my favourite track from their 2017 record ‘Relaxer’, the tune was chilling, almost strange to witness its haunting melodies executed by only three musicians.

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As per the track list of ‘An Awesome Wave’, the ever-catchy ‘Tessellate’ was preceded by ‘Interlude I’, instruments tossed aside for the minute-long song comprising only of two voices, a simple harmony that sounded quite complex.

Newbie ‘Deadcrush’ made more of an impression than expected, ‘Nara’ too, both being relatively uninfluential. ‘In Cold Blood’ carried the upbeat quirks of alt-J’s most well-received releases, an unsurprising star from ‘Relaxer’.

Light and bouncy, the feathery riff of ‘Dissolve Me’ earned its title as the shimmering underdog of ‘An Awesome Wave’, though ‘Matilda’ truly sparkled, synths swapped for acoustic-guitar plucking as the crowd loudly chanted: “This is for, this is for, this is for Matilda.”

‘Hunger Of The Pine’ was bold and alluring, the catalyst of a dip into darker territories; ‘The Gospel Of John Hunt’ became surprisingly heavy, alt-J transitioning from jangly indie into full-blown rock.

By the time ‘Every Other Freckle’ rolled around I was well and truly converted; three back-to-back tracks from album ‘This Is All Yours’ demonstrated just how strong the record is, even in comparison to the brilliant ‘An Awesome Wave’.


I was thrilled when the twanging introductions of the underrated ‘Bloodflood’ began to ring; ‘Taro’ was also pleasing, particularly watching keyboardist Gus Unger-Hamilton. He was palpably elated, excitement building to the peak, fans following as he raised his fist for “Hey Taro!”

‘Pleader’ is one of my favourites from ‘Relaxer’ though felt a little flat; the song is accompanied by an ambitious, cinematic film clip and perhaps needed the moving pictures to come to life. ‘Fitzpleasure’ closed the set pre-encore, alt-J waiting only moments to return to the stage with favourites ‘Left Hand Free’ and ‘Breezeblocks’.

Strictly speaking, the performance was outstanding, each track as true as its recorded counterpart, far better, in fact. Even the most intricate harmonies were beautifully executed, instruments were expertly balanced, members played together in well-rehearsed sync.

But despite mirroring each release to utter perfection, the show still highlighted several musical elements that I had failed to recognise earlier.

The layered vocals are an obvious standout among alt-J's discography though listening live, it emphasised just how choral-like they are. Choral to the point of lyrics being lost altogether (not bad, simply interesting); over the span of the performance, fans far more frequently recited the oohs and aahs, the chants and hums, the rise and fall of sound, as opposed to the actual words.

Watching the trio also asserted just how essential each band member is; lead-vocalist Joe Newman’s impressive pipes are an obvious stand-out though keyboardist and vocalist Gus Unger-Hamilton is notably responsible for a surprising amount of music.

He capably carries one half of the all-important harmonies while producing every, single sound bar the guitar, keyboard and synths at his fingertips.


But drummer Thom Sonny Green proved my favourite member to watch perform, his eyes often closed in what felt like pure contentment.

While he seems to prefer shying away from the crowd, keenly focussed on his percussion, his faultless beat adds an essential element of structure that, realistically, most of alt-J’s songs would sound silly without.

Musicians aside, what proved most engaging was their sound, their songs, so captivating despite having little emotional pull. Many artists attract their listeners through pretty words, or relatable stories, love or lovesickness often the key drawcard.

alt-J have alternatively acquired an unrelenting fan base by composing music that’s almost mathematically written, memorable for its vocal prowess, its unexpected twists and turns, its abandonment of standard song structure and clever meshing of classical, folk and rock to produce something that’s devoid of a genre altogether.

The band rarely interacted with the audience, but realistically, they didn’t need to; it’s their sound that speaks the loudest, brimming with emotion that can’t quite be summarised in any pre-song words.

The stage was divided into thirds, but I assure you, alt-J effortlessly earned the audience’s undivided attention.