An Awesome Wave

An Awesome Wave
Studio album by alt-J
Released 25 May 2012 (2012-05-25)
Recorded 2009-2011
Studio Iguana Studio
(London, England)
Genre
Length 48:42
Label Infectious
Producer Charlie Andrew, Mark Bishop
alt-J chronology
Films EP
(2009)		 An Awesome Wave
(2012)		 This Is All Yours
(2014)
Singles from An Awesome Wave
  1. "Bloodflood/Tessellate"
    Released: 13 October 2011
  2. "Matilda"
    Released: 24 February 2012
  3. "Breezeblocks"
    Released: 18 May 2012
  4. "Tessellate"
    Released: 13 July 2012
  5. "Something Good"
    Released: 28 September 2012
  6. "Fitzpleasure"
    Released: 18 May 2012
  7. "Dissolve Me"
    Released: 22 March 2013

An Awesome Wave is the debut album by English indie rock band alt-J, released on 25 May 2012 through Infectious. The album includes the singles "Matilda"/"Fitzpleasure", "Breezeblocks" and "Tessellate". It peaked at number thirteen on the UK Albums Chart, and also charted in Belgium, France, Netherlands and Switzerland. An Awesome Wave won the 2012 British Barclaycard Mercury Prize, and in 2013 was named Album of the Year at the Ivor Novello Awards. The title is a reference to a quote from the 2000 American-Canadian film American Psycho.

Artwork

The album artwork for An Awesome Wave is a multi-layered radar image of the Ganges river delta in Bangladesh.[5] The image in each of the three layers was acquired by the European Space Agency's Envisat Earth-observing satellite, taken separately on 20 January, 24 February and 31 March 2009. The overlaid image, titled Ganges' Dazzling Delta,[6] exposes a multitude of colours arising from the variations in background radiation occurring between the three acquisition times.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic71/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
The A.V. ClubC[8]
The Irish Times[1]
MSN MusicB+[9]
The New Zealand Herald[10]
NME8/10[2]
Pitchfork4.8/10[11]
PopMatters8/10[12]
Q[13]
Rolling Stone[14]

An Awesome Wave received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 71, based on 20 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[7] Jenny Stevens of NME felt that "the charm of Alt-J's musical scatterbrain is that it works", describing the album as "on the surface... smart alt-pop" while noting that the band "have messed with the formula just enough to make this a brilliantly disquieting debut" and that "in refusing to submit to the rigours of a genre, they might just have made themselves masters of their own."[2] Andy Baber of musicOMH praised the band's ability to mix different musical styles and instruments on the album without coming off as forced or over-complicated.[15] Similarly, BBC Music's Jen Long wrote that An Awesome Wave "spans every workable idea, genre, and influence that can be crammed under the guitar music umbrella, yet it never feels disorientating" and called it an "entirely comprehendible and accessible collection of beautiful pop songs."[16]

Ruth Singleton of Drowned in Sound described An Awesome Wave as "a beautifully rounded, awesome debut album" and said that "whatever Alt-J were aiming for with their debut album, they have managed to prove their value as talented musicians, literary enthusiasts and imagery aficionados."[17] Joe Zadeh of Clash praised the band as "young, yet somehow void of naivety."[18] Jon O'Brien of AllMusic felt that the album was "occasionally guilty of pretentiousness", but that its "eclectic arrays of sound are woven together in a manner so effortlessly that the results never feel forced or contrived."[4] In a more negative assessment, Mojo felt that the band "aim for 'cryptic experimental pop' but hit 'pompous whimsy'" and that "the whole album is uncertain and unconvincing".[19] Laura Snapes of Pitchfork referred to the songs as "draining, elongated MOR tunes".[11]

Commercial performance

An Awesome Wave entered the UK Albums Chart at number nineteen on sales of 6,720 copies.[20] After winning the Mercury Prize, the album reached a new peak position of number thirteen, selling 13,527 copies.[21] On 2 August 2013, the album was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), denoting shipments in excess of 300,000 units in the UK.[22]

In Canada, the album debuted at number thirty on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 1,800 copies.[23]

An Awesome Wave first charted in America on 6 October 2012, initially entering at #134. On 4 May 2013, seven months later, An Awesome Wave achieved its peak position of #80.

Singles

  • "Bloodflood/Tessellate was released as the first single from the album on 13 October 2011.
  • "Matilda" was released as the second single from the album on 24 February 2012. "Matilda" was re-released on 10 December 2012 following the band's Mercury Prize win.
  • "Breezeblocks" was released as the third single from the album on 18 May 2012.
  • "Tessellate" was released as the fourth single from the album on 13 July 2012.
  • "Something Good" was released as the fifth single from the album on 28 September 2012.
  • "Fitzpleasure was released as the sixth single from the album on 18 May 2012.
  • "Dissolve Me" was released as the seventh single from the album on 22 March 2013.

Track listing

All tracks written by Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Gwilym Sainsbury and Thom Green.

No.TitleLength
1."Intro"2:37
2."❦ (The Ripe & Ruin)"1:12
3."Tessellate"3:02
4."Breezeblocks"3:47
5."❦ (Guitar)"1:17
6."Something Good"3:38
7."Dissolve Me"4:00
8."Matilda"3:48
9."Ms"3:58
10."Fitzpleasure"3:39
11."❦ (Piano)"0:53
12."Bloodflood"4:09
13."Taro" (ends at 5:04; hidden track Hand-Made starts at 10:04 following 5:00 of silence)12:41

On CD, "Hand-Made" is on the same track as "Taro", separated by several minutes of silence. It is not on the vinyl, however is included as a hidden track within "Taro" when downloaded with the included download code.

Personnel

Credits for adapted from the liner notes of An Awesome Wave.[25]

  • Charlie Andrew – production
  • Dick Beetham – mastering
  • Mark Bishop – production ("Hand-Made")
  • European Space Agency – cover photo provider
  • Rachael Lander – cello ("Taro")
  • Kirsty Mangan – string arrangements (all tracks); violin ("Tessellate", "Taro")
  • St Ronan's Chamber Choir – additional vocals ("Bloodflood", "Taro")

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[52] Platinum 70,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[53] Gold 40,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[54] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[22] Platinum 384,346[55]
United States (RIAA)[56] Gold 500,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label
United Kingdom[57] 25 May 2012 Digital download Infectious Music
28 May 2012 CD, LP
United States[58] 18 September 2012 CD, LP, digital download Canvasback, Atlantic Records

References

  1. 1 2 Carroll, Jim (1 June 2012). "Alt-J". The Irish Times. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 Stevens, Jenny (25 May 2012). "Review: Alt-J – An Awesome Wave". NME. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  3. ↑ Richards, Sam (5 July 2014). "Alt-J: 'All the coolest bands are completely normal'". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 O'Brien, Jon. "An Awesome Wave – Alt-J". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  5. ↑ "An awesome wave". European Space Agency. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  6. ↑ "Ganges' dazzling delta". European Space Agency. 31 July 2009. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  7. 1 2 "Reviews for An Awesome Wave by Alt-J". Metacritic. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  8. ↑ Eakin, Marah (20 November 2012). "Alt-J: An Awesome Wave". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  9. ↑ Christgau, Robert (26 February 2013). "Parquet Courts/Alt-J". MSN Music. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  10. ↑ Reid, Graham (3 August 2012). "Album review: An Awesome Wave – Alt-J". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  11. 1 2 Snapes, Laura (28 September 2012). "Alt-J: An Awesome Wave". Pitchfork. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  12. ↑ Nelson, Geoff (27 September 2012). "Alt-J: An Awesome Wave". PopMatters. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  13. ↑ "Alt-J: An Awesome Wave". Q (312): 95. July 2012.
  14. ↑ "Alt-J: An Awesome Wave". Rolling Stone: 106. There are delicious moments all over their debut... Sly, funky ex-metal drummer Thom Green and gnomish frontman Joe Newman turn mere prettiness into something stranger.
  15. ↑ Baber, Andy (28 May 2012). "∆ (Alt-J) – An Awesome Wave". musicOMH. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  16. ↑ Long, Jen (21 May 2012). "Review of Alt-J – An Awesome Wave". BBC Music. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  17. ↑ Singleton, Ruth (26 June 2012). "Album Review: Alt-J – An Awesome Wave". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  18. ↑ Zadeh, Joe (28 May 2012). "Alt-J – An Awesome Wave". Clash. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  19. ↑ "Alt-J: An Awesome Wave". Mojo. July 2012. p. 94.
  20. ↑ Jones, Alan (3 June 2012). "Official Charts Analysis: Gary Barlow LP sells 40k". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  21. ↑ Jones, Alan (5 November 2012). "Official Albums Chart Analysis: Adele's 21 leaves Top 30 after 92 weeks". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved 21 December 2012. (subscription required)
  22. 1 2 "British album certifications – Alt-J – An Awesome Wave". British Phonographic Industry. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 7 August 2013. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Enter An Awesome Wave in the search field and then press Enter.
  23. ↑ http://ajournalofmusicalthings.com/weekly-music-sales-report-analysis-02-october-2014/
  24. ↑ "An Awesome Wave (Deluxe Version) by Alt-J (∆)". iTunes Store UK. Apple. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  25. ↑ An Awesome Wave (CD liner notes). Alt-J. Infectious Music. 2012. INFECT134CD.
  26. ↑ "Alt-J – An Awesome Wave". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  27. ↑ "ARIA Dance – Week Commencing 11th February 2013" (PDF). ARIA Charts. Pandora Archive. p. 17. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  28. ↑ "Alt-J – An Awesome Wave" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  29. ↑ "Alt-J – An Awesome Wave" (in French). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  30. ↑ "Alt-J – An Awesome Wave". danishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  31. ↑ "Alt-J – An Awesome Wave" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  32. ↑ "Alt-J – An Awesome Wave" (in French). lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  33. ↑ "Top 75 Artist Album, Week Ending 8 November 2012". Chart-Track. Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  34. ↑ "Top 10 Independent Artist Albums, Week Ending 8 November 2012". Chart-Track. Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  35. ↑ "Alt-J – An Awesome Wave". charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  36. ↑ "2012 Top 40 Scottish Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. 10 November 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  37. ↑ "Alt-J – An Awesome Wave". swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  38. ↑ "2012 Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. 10 November 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  39. ↑ "2012 Top 40 Independent Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. 17 November 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  40. ↑ "Alt-J – Chart history: Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  41. ↑ "Alt-J – Chart history: Alternative Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  42. ↑ "Alt-J – Chart history: Top Rock Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  43. ↑ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Dance Albums 2012". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  44. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2012" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  45. ↑ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Albums 2013". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  46. ↑ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Dance Albums 2013". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  47. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2013" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Archived from the original on 17 April 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  48. ↑ "Rapports Annuels 2013" (in French). Ultratop. Archived from the original on 17 April 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  49. ↑ "2013 Year-End Charts – Billboard 200 Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  50. ↑ "2013 Year-End Charts – Alternative Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  51. ↑ "2013 Year-End Charts – Rock Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  52. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  53. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Alt-J – An Awesome Wave". Music Canada. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  54. ↑ "Dutch album certifications – Alt-J – An Awesome Wave" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 7 August 2018. Enter An Awesome Wave in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  55. ↑ "Official Charts Analysis: Ed Sheeran's ÷ back at No.1". Music Week. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  56. ↑ "American album certifications – Alt-J – An Awesome Wave". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 1 February 2016. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  57. ↑
    • "Alt-j: An Awesome Wave (2012): CD". HMV. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
    • "Alt-j: An Awesome Wave (2012): LP". HMV. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
    • "An Awesome Wave by Alt-J (∆)". iTunes Store UK. Apple Inc. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  58. ↑
    • "An Awesome Wave (Audio CD)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
    • "An Awesome Wave (Vinyl)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
    • "An Awesome Wave by Alt-J". iTunes Store US. Apple Inc. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
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