The document discusses several CD and album covers, analyzing their visual design elements and artistic styles: - The Tame Impala cover features psychedelic artwork in a cream palette with minimalist text, allowing the art to be the focus. - The XX cover depicts an iridescent oil spill in the shape of an X, reflecting their minimalist electronic style. Their consistent use of a limited black/white/pastel color palette and the X logo builds recognition. - The Alt-J cover has no text, relying on intriguing pastel artwork to attract listeners without identifying the band. In contrast to The XX's consistency, Alt-J's covers have not followed a single approach. -

1. The CD cover is mainly
focused on the artwork
rather than the band
name. When bands
produce multiple
different CD covers for
each single/album, it
makes them recognisable
and gives off a distinct
image, and is a good idea
for collectors.
Tame Impala got their name
from the word ‘impala’,
meaning a medium sized
antelope.
They describe the band as "a
steady flowing psychedelic
groove rock band that
emphasizes dream-like
melody."
The band’s name and album
name are in a cream colour
which is a neutral contrast to the
busy artwork. The text in a
typewriter font, followed by an
underscore, which is very
minimalist and seems
aesthetically pleasing on the eye.
The text is positioned in the right
hand corner, allowing the main
attention to be focused on the
artwork. It is placed in a pink
circle, making it look like a
sticker. If the writing were to be
placed directly onto the art the
writing would not be as
prominent.
These colours are not ‘typical’
for a usual CD cover, the genre
of the band is psychedelic rock
therefore artwork has been
produced which reflects the
genre. The pattern seems to be
a microscopic image, which also
looks like an ink/watercolour
painting.

2. This album is the second release from
The XX, called ‘Coexist’. The band have
kept a simplistic and minimalist theme
throughout their releases and posters,
reflecting the genre of their music of
electronic and minimalistic musical
style.
The artwork is inspired by an iridescent oil
spill, which is in the shape of an ‘X’ (The XX).
‘The album's title was inspired by the colours
visible in iridescent oil’. This artwork has been
so successful that merchandise and stickers
have been produced.
All of the colours used throughout
The XX’s work are within the same
colour palette. Black and white are
the main features, however pastel
pinks, blues and yellows are used.
The ‘X’ is the main focal point on the
album, as it promotes the bands
name, but also holds the artwork for
it. The backgrounds are always very
minimal with either a white or black
background.
They have created many different
versions of artwork for their
previous singles and albums.
Keeping the identical shape, size
and font of the ‘X’.

3. The album cover has no form of writing,
therefore the selling point could be
dropped as the bands name ‘Alt-J’ is not
visual. However the artwork could attract
different listeners, as they are intrigued to
find out who the band are.
The colour palette is very similar
to The XX, using pastel hues.
The section at the bottom of the
cover looks almost iridescent in
some angles, which also looks
quite textured looking like it has
been created by acrylic paint.
I researched into Alt-J’s
previous album and
single covers, and all of
which have not been
consistent. In my
opinion I don’t like this
approach towards
promotion and releases.
I prefer consistency
throughout the album
and single art.
After doing some background research on this artwork
I found out that this is a radar image of a river in
Bangladesh called ‘Ganges River Delta’. The radar
image is actually contains three layers of the river
within different time periods of the rivers state. The
image ‘exposes a multitude of colours arising from the
variations in background radiation occurring between
the three acquisition times’.