Stream: Alt-J, ‘Hunger of the Pine’

Seraphina Lotkhamnga on June 20th, 2014

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Alt-J‘s 2012 debut “An Awesome Wave” ended up making the top of many year-end lists (including this one). The album release paved the way for a fruitful year; not only did they win the Mercury Prize but their performances fusing trip-hop, psych-rock and pop gained them a solid worldwide following. The Leeds-based band now returns with new material from their forthcoming album “This Is All Yours” (out Sept. 22 via Canvasback), but they’re short one original member. With the departure of former bassist Gwil Sainsbury, the trio presents the record’s lead single “Hunger of the Pine.” All the smoky atmospherics are there and Joe Newman once again provides those devastatingly emotive vocals. The only surprise? One-third way into the track, a loop of Miley Cyrus singing the lyrics “I’m a female rebel” from her track “4×4” pops out of nowhere and eventually blends into the beats. Although the mystique probably would have stayed intact without Cyrus, the sample isn’t annoying as much as you would assume it would be.

||| Stream: “Hunger of the Pine”