Two and a half years since their last Los Angeles show at Bardot, UK’s Alt-J took the stage on Oct. 20th at The Greek Theater – now with a second album and a Mercury Prize under their belt. Although the band lost original bassist Gwil Sainsbury earlier in the year, they performed just has magnetically with touring bassist Cameron Knight in tow. Backlit in a red and white lights, Alt-J opened the night with “Hunger Of The Pine” from 2014’s “This Is All Yours” and “Fitzpleasure” from 2012’s “An Awesome Wave.” Their new material flowed well with the old and the band showed off more of their signature multi-textured sound that kept fans moving to their (at times) un-danceable alt-rock. Older tracks got the greatest response including the delicate “Matilda” which allowed for a widespread singalong which prompted singer Joe Newman’s unshakable grin. Alt-J sound complicated and cerebral, and with the lack of any cymbals, drummer Thom Green’s syncopated rhythms perpetuate their math-rock tag. Too often, bands will get too mechanical with their arrangements too cognitive with their melodies, losing the feel of the music as a whole. Not so with Alt-J who tie their gorgeous layered tracks together with gregorian harmonies and disorienting but very present emotion. “Bloodflood” (predictably or cleverly) preceded “Bloodflood Pt. II” and fan-favorite “Tesselate” where we are reminded just how geeky these guys might be for the fact that they have a favorite shape. The groove heavy “The Gospel Of John Hurt” lead into the four-song encore which closed with their hit single “Breezeblocks” getting every one up out of their seats to move. Alt-J add and subtract from their trip-hop in just the right places and like both good musicians and mathematicians, they draw beauty out of simplicity and weave passion from complexity.

Photography and writing by me for BUZZBANDS.LA