Joe Newman, exilé à Los Angeles, se permet toutes les libertés, de la cavalcade façon western à la guitare minimaliste en passant par des chœurs gospel.
He may adopt a pseudonym, but one immediately recognizes the distinctive timbre of Joe Newman, the frontman of Alt-J, who deemed his real name too ordinary to begin a solo career.
Even as he changes scenery, leaving London for Los Angeles (where The Canyon was recorded between 2024 and 2025), you can still hear traces of his roots in the tracks of this first solo chapter — the grandiose Juicy and Quaaludes could have easily sat on an album by his main band, whose latest work dates back to 2022.
A Few Trembling Strings, a Handful of Elegant Brass
Awaiting a possible follow-up, this parallel quest broadens its reach: a wild Western-style gallop on Walkaway Music, a short yet magnificent Interlude on piano, a wonderful blues-soul enchantment on Mr. Alligator, a confession on minimalist guitar on Last Man Alive, all interwoven with gospel backing vocals in the vein of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and a cinematic flavor not far from Timber Timbre or Beirut.
A few trembling strings, a handful of elegant brass, female voices that converse with him, and above all a renewed surge of creativity: the British singer-songwriter attributes this revival of inspiration to his new sunny California surroundings, but most of all to the birth of his daughter, pictured beside him on the cover. An enchanting Canyon.
The Canyon (Mushroom Music/Virgin Music Group/Universal). Release on June 26.
