![musicreview]()
Sometimes the best type of song to listen to is the one where you can just throw
in earbuds, sit back, relax and enjoy everything about the song, and not have to
listen too deeply to the lyrics. That’s the type of feeling “Breezeblocks” gives you.
It’s easy to listen to and has such a different sound than most songs.
alt-J was formed during 2007 by four guys who met during college at Leeds
University in the United Kingdom. After finding each other and establishing
themselves as a band, they named themselves “Daljit Dhaliwal” — the name of a
famous TV presenter. After that, they renamed themselves “Films,” but found out
there was an American band already called “The Films,” so quickly afterwards
they worked on a new band name. This is when alt-J finally was established and
firmly set as a name.
They chose alt-J because on a Mac computer, you receive the Greek
letter delta when you press the alt+j keys at the same time. This symbol stands
for change, and they felt it was a good representation of who they wanted to be.
If you ever attend a concert or see videos or pictures of their shows, you’ll easily
see everyone in the crowd putting up the delta triangle symbol with their hands.
During 2011, they signed a two-year contract with Infectious Records as their
label, and during May 2012, “Breezeblocks” was released from the album “An
Awesome Wave.”
The sound of alt-J is extremely unique, especially in “Breezeblocks.” The
instrumentals are hard to compare to any other bands or artists. The bass guitar
is repetitive throughout the song, providing a steady sound. It’s easy to tell how
creative and confident alt-J is in their music.
The voice sounds a little weak and helpless throughout most of the song
as the lead singer repeats multiple times “please don’t go, please don’t go, I love
you so, I love you so,” but it’s done without coming off as annoying or pathetic.
That one line is the core of the song, and it might have been overdone.
Otherwise, unless the listener doesn’t enjoy the type of sound and feel the
song gives off, there aren’t any obvious downfalls to “Breezeblocks.” It’s so
interesting how different they made this song and once you listen to it, you can’t
forget it. If I had to rate this song on a scale from 1-10, I would give it a 7. The
first time I heard it, I loved it, and I’ve only grown to appreciate their music more
and more. Although the sound and vibe alt-J gives off might not be for everyone,
I recommend it to anyone who has an open mind and appreciates music.
