REVIEW - LONDON GRAMMAR - IF YOU WAITUK-based London Grammar (wanted to throw that in there in case you didn’t guess it from the name) have released a hotly-anticipated debut, and it lives up to all the underground hushed hype. Side note--is any debut album not called “anticipated” these days? That is what we call “spin” my friends.
The trio are creating the kind of music you want soundtracking a lazy Saturday of lovemaking. Everything about the album is soft and gentle; this is, as they say, “baby-making music”. Musically the songs are lo-fi, but we’re not talking indie rock here. Closer to a movie score than a pop song, much of the power of ‘If You Wait’ is in the lyrics and incredible vocals. Lead singer Hannah Reid mixes Florence and the Machine’s tones with the sheer beauty of Rhye. This is the album Lana Del Rey was trying to make, but fell short of. Ethereal and even at times haunting, this is definitely the darker side of pop. While very emotionally powerful, nothing here sounds too affected or contrived; London Grammar’s talent feels effortless and instinctive. Listen to: “Hey Now”, “Metal & Dust”, and “If You Wait”, though after that you’ll want to hear the rest. |
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