“We had this theory with the first album, where if you can get past the beginning of the album, which is quite challenging, then you’re rewarded,” he says. It mirrors the pattern set by 2012’s An Awesome Wave, and while Unger-Hamilton admits the tactic might be a bit of a risk – and certainly unusual – it’s clear that alt-J have always been about doing things their way. The opening stages of the record are characterised by minimal vocals, looping synths, and soft piano, before release comes in the form of moody ‘Every Other Freckle’ and the jaunty, jangly ‘Left Hand Free’ with its Led Zeppelin-ish riffs.

They throw absolutely everything into This Is All Yours, creating a densely layered, expansive, and off-kilter universe. Keyboardist/vocalist Gus Unger-Hamilton says the band used the city as a metaphor for the freedom that comes with a creative process, and that idea is overt in alt-J’s music. Three of the song titles on the record reference the Japanese city of Nara, where wild deer roam at will in a huge public park.

A lack of restriction seeps into everything from song titles to lyrics to the almost-audacious three-song introduction that spans 14 minutes. But on alt j’s This Is All Yours, it’s an overwhelmingly present sentiment.

Alt j an awesome wave.rar