Alt-J have just given us their first new music as a trio (we’ll miss you Gwil) in the form of ‘Hunger Of The Pine’, the lead single for the zeitgeist-capturing indie band’s sophomore album, This Is All Yours.
It’s a delicate, sombre beast constructed first from a droning electronic bleep before gently ascending on a bed of propellent drum pads, horns, and a curious vocal sample: Miley Cyrus from her track ‘4X4’.
It’s more brooding than anything on debut An Awesome Wave, but with Joe Newman’s distinctively needling vocals and enigmatic lyrics (linking longing for someone with starvation), it captures the same blend of lingering menace and sonic invention as ‘Breezeblocks’ or ‘Fitzpleasure’ but without the same aggressive immediacy.
In short, it’s a fascinating re-introduction back into the world of one of the hardest working bands of 2013 and a good indication that there’s plenty of aural territory to explore on album #2; one of our 25 most anticipated albums for the rest of the year, and for good reason. September can’t come soon enough.
Take a spin of ‘Hunger Of The Pine’ below:
