Let's talk about eclecticism without aroma. Five years and three albums are just enough for Alt-J to make his new release highly anticipated. A while ago, Alt J has become one of those acts you could not avoid in your youtube suggestions If you were listening to Chat Faker and Glass Animals. Their debut seduced the world and conquered hipster subculture, and their sophomore confirmed his status. Yet, their third release does not verify that third luck exists.Relaxer is a missed opportunity and slothful return to the studio after a long hiatus. The album is sewrching for itself in diverse styles, but loses substance on the basis of boredom and hackneyed quality. Maybe I should mentioned the only good thing right away? It is a song titled In Cold Blood, one of the most successful experimental ventures this band had ever tried in effort to reflect themselves: minimalistic drums and angsty guitars allowed boys to overcome th e obstacle of problematic tempo that switches throughout the song and confronts with the melody until the very end. The song sounds like a sequel to Left Hand Free, and also as a continuation of any summer swimming pool party song. Cheerleader choir juxtapositioned with traditional organ gives this track an idiosyncratic note. Too bad Alt-J wasn't capable on delivering similar material on the rest of the album.Another semi-sexy number is Deadcrash, which totally belongs on the band's debut. It is a perverse interplay between drum kicks and simplified guitars on one side and outta-this-world falsetto of Joe Newman. The song complements Hit Me Like That Snare, a song on the trace of Iggy Popp that makes us believe this album will at least have a spine, If not balls. As you get to the cover of House Of The Rising Sun, you realize that this is a spineless record. The biggest mistake was to put this epic classic in between two movie-like heartfelt ballades. Another mistake is the band's inability to hold the listener's attention after a beautiful ballade Adeline. Last Year and Pleader are one of the most boring tracks I have heard this year, and they definitely spoil whatever is good on the album. Relaxer sounds obsolete, rather than monotonous. Due to it's eclecticism, you don't end up feeling bored, but you are a little bit exhausted of trying to catch up with the band's wrong turns. Sometimes, eclecticism is nothins else but lack of consistency, coherence and structure. I am pretty sure they are not going to attract new fans with Relaxer.
