Written by: Kiera Roedel | Copy Editor
Content warning: this article contains references to murder, domestic violence, drugs and addiction.
The death of the American Dream seems a strange subject to tackle for British indie rock trio alt-J, but that is exactly what they did with their fourth studio album, “The Dream.” Released Feb. 15, 2022, the album contains 11 songs, each a short vignette of somebody’s life in modern-day America. The band’s trippy songwriting, with spare, occasionally nonsensical lyrics and stunning guitar work, does a great job of telling these stories in an emotionally impactful and musically satisfying way, exuding the sensation of wandering through the quiet streets of a dying city, where sickly green weeds peek up from cracks in the sidewalk.
“Bane” — The first sound in the first song on this album is the snap-pop of someone opening a soda can, which kind of gives one an idea of what they’re in for here. “Bane” tells the story of a teenager who is so addicted to cola that they dream about a swimming pool full of it. Using plenty of choral vocals and guitar, and a quote from Jesus’ crucifixion — “My God, my God / Why hast thou forsaken me?” — this is an absolutely incredible opening track.
“U&ME” — If somebody asked about my favorite song of all time, this would be a serious contender. It is one of the most radio-friendly on the record, it’s much more firmly structured and layered musically than most of the other songs, and more positive lyrically. It was also the album’s first single. Its subject is someone spending a summer day high on psychedelics with their partner at a music festival, upon which the singer concludes, “I could hold on to the memory of that day for the rest of my life.” It’s a simple pleasure in a complicated world.
“Hard Drive Gold” — “Hard Drive Gold” is sung from the perspective of a self-important 15-year-old boy who becomes a millionaire by trading cryptocurrency. One of the shortest songs here, it has a catchy chorus and excellent percussion. Fittingly, the music video is about a nuclear attack on the United Kingdom. Neither a critique nor an endorsement, the band stated, “How ironically you interpret [the track’s] message is entirely up to you.” It was a perfect choice as the album’s third single and an overall very solid song.
“Happier When You’re Gone” — Following two radio-friendly songs, “Happier When You’re Gone” is a ballad that swells and shrinks multiple times; its subject is a disgraced lover who kills their partner in a fit of jealous anger. The pre-chorus is ominous, saying, “The smell of burning cattle / hangs on the westerly / sweeping up through the ferns,” which I honestly cannot begin to try to interpret. It’s an okay fourth track.
“The Actor” — Musically, “The Actor” picks up right where “U&ME” left off, which I definitely appreciate. It’s about a theoretical aspiring actor who can’t get a big break and ends up selling cocaine to Hollywood stars. It’s the album’s fourth single and easily one of its best tracks.
“Get Better” — A strange choice for the record’s second single considering how slow and long it is — almost six minutes. It’s also seriously heart-wrenching, its subject being a beleaguered lover whose partner is slowly dying in the hospital. Its lyrics give an idea of what their life together was like, and it’s so sad it sometimes makes me hesitate to listen to “The Dream” start to finish. It’s a bit disingenuous to call the song skippable for that reason, though, it really is great, it’s just not for casually listening to.
“Chicago” — Starting off slow and acoustic, “Chicago” soon shifts to a biting techno track inspired by the music genre it shares a name with, Chicago house. Its lyrics are about a sibling pair hiking in the hills above a town until one of them falls to their death. Blunt and substantial, alt-J pulls off this new musical territory perfectly.
“Philadelphia” — The second song on “The Dream” to take its name from an American city, I can’t help but wonder why the band chose Chicago and Philadelphia specifically. Regardless, “Philadelphia” is told from the perspective of a recent murder victim who hasn’t died yet, wondering how they got there as they bleed to death in the street. The band describes death as “… losing my ability to fathom / Awake and not awake,” which I find fittingly poignant.
“Walk a Mile” — The embodiment of the slow, skippable intro stereotype, when one digs into it, “Walk a Mile” is a fantastic song. “Lyrically simple but melodically diverse,” lead singer Joe Newman said about it. Yet another track about death, it touches on alt-J’s frequent topic of domestic violence and references one partner drowning the other. Musically it’s slow but full-bodied and incredibly satisfying.
“Delta” — Less than a minute long, “Delta” is an interlude with simple lyrics and no instruments. Perhaps its most interesting feature relates to its title — alt-J is actually the band’s nickname, its rarely-used actual name being Δ, the Greek letter delta. The nickname comes from the Mac keyboard shortcut to type a delta. Clearly, then, this song is important to the band, but I don’t really see it.
“Losing My Mind” — “Losing My Mind” calls back to the musical style of “Happier When You’re Gone” and “Walk a Mile,” though it is faster and more percussion-intensive than either of them. It tells the story of the victim of a serial killer who targets children. Its music builds without a release, which makes the music as strangely uncomfortable as the lyrics. In this case it works in the song’s favor.
“Powders” — Rife with spoken words, including a skit in the middle recorded by drummer Thom Sonny Green and his girlfriend, “Powders” ends “The Dream” on a strangely positive note. With quiet piano and a three-word chorus, it tells of a schoolboy who falls in love with his cashier while buying cologne. It makes the listener wonder what alt-J’s intent really was with this album, with so many stories about murder and dying capped off by one of love.
With its dark and brooding look at Americana and the human condition, “The Dream” definitely requires a degree of emotional commitment. But when one sinks their teeth into it, they find a sensational album filled with experimental songs, amazing instrumentals and lyrics about everything from soda to the murder of children. Turn up your speakers for this one.
10/10.
Contact the author at howlcopyeditor@wou.edu
