Fresh Beats: 8/28/14

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Matt Wood / Senior Staff Writer

alt-J – Every Other Freckle

In the wake of its successful debut album, wonderfully weird English indie outfit alt-J stay true to form with its third released track from upcoming sophomore album “This Is All Yours,” due out on Sept. 22. Most notably, rhythms in the new track are more sporadic than songs like “Tessellate” from the debut album, and the newer sound has more depth and complexity to it. The slower tempo allows parts of the song to create suspense and tension when transitioning between sections, and each shift takes an unexpected, enjoyable turn.

Lyrically, lead singer Joe Newman remains just as bewildering as he’s always been, with lines like “I want to turn you inside out and lick you like a crisp packet.” We may not fully understand what Newman means in his lyrics, but his unique vocal delivery isn’t any less enjoyable for it.

+ Promising new sound from alt-J

+ Lyrics stay weird

– Crazier drum rhythms are missed

Rating: 4/5

Interpol – All the Rage Back Home

Bringing his baritone vocals and reverberating guitar tones, Paul Banks leads Interpol in its first album in four years. After a bit of a stumble with its 2010 self-titled album, the band seems to have found itself again, bringing back the towering guitar tones, driving drumbeats and melancholic melodies that are so distinctively Interpol.

An identity crisis seems to have been righted with this track. After all, Interpol’s new album’s name, “El Pintor,” is also an anagram for the band’s name. The band might rearrange the letters however it pleases, but at its core it is still Interpol, and it should avoid trying to be something its not.

The weakness in the track, unfortunately, is the lack of dynamics. The track starts off simple and thin, but once it picks up it does very little to break the pattern of verse, chorus, repeat. Hopefully the rest of the new album proves to develop itself a bit more, but this leading track holds a great deal of promise.

+ Interpol finds its footing

+ Sound calls back to earlier albums

– Track leans too hard on standard song format

Rating: 3.5/5

Tweedy – Flowering

Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy and his son Spencer make up the honest and barebones folk duo simply dubbed “Tweedy.” This single contains no surprises in its calm demeanor and stripped down instrumentation, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. There’s one acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, vocals and drums. In this spacious arrangement, Jeff’s voice shines through as soothing, calm and almost paternal. In every sense, it’s “back to basics” music and it’s infinitely refreshing to hear.

This song conjures up images of breezy fall mornings and laid-back winter evenings. The relaxed tone of the instruments and vocals hint at an album that’s coming just in time for the shifting of the seasons. “Sukierae” comes out Sept. 16, and although Tweedy has already played Dallas, they’re set to announce more tour dates when the album is released.

+ Simple, soothing arrangement

+ Honest songwriting

– Track runs a bit short

Rating: 4.5/5

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