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Alt-J looked to both the past and the present during their Monday visit to The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The British indie rock trio performed their latest single “U&ME” from their recently released album The Dream before revisiting their 2012 single “Breezeblocks” as a web exclusive to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the group’s Mercury Prize-winning album, An Awesome Wave.
The Dream, which marks Alt-J’s first studio album since 2017’s Relaxer, was announced with a video for “U&ME” back in September. In a statement about the track, keyboardist and vocalist Gus Unger-Hamilton said, “It’s about being at a festival with your best friends, having a good time, togetherness, and the feeling in life that nothing could be any better than it is right now.”
“Breezeblocks” — which frontman Joe Newman told Interview Magazine in 2012 was partially inspired by a line from the children’s bookWhere the Wild Things Are —buries its dark, threatening tale of a murderous lover beneath playful synth leads and Newman’s sing-song vocals. “She bruises, coughs, she splutters pistol shots,” he sings. “Hold her down with soggy clothes and breezeblocks.”
Alt-J is set to embark upon a joint North American tour with Portugal. the Man later this month. The run kicks off Feb. 25 in Pittsburgh and wraps April 17 in Toronto.
