Be Devious

Review by Dahlia M.

Review by Dahlia M.

You’re sitting in a bathtub filled with hot water and the refreshing smell of your favorite bubble bath soap is filling the dimmed room. As you allow your tense muscles to relax, you listen to the ambient sounds of synths, low percussion, and a soulful voice that can be compared to molten gold. Trip-hop trio London Grammar unleash their robust electronic pop material and deep-seated vocals into the world. 

Having uploaded their first song “Hey Now” on YouTube and SoundCloud in December of 2012, and being featured in Disclosure’s album Settle, their popularity skyrocketed, earning them fresh fans. After releasing their EP Metal & Dust in February of the following year, their debut album entitled If You Wait was released in September later in 2013. Lead singer Hannah Reid encompasses the album with her haunting and resonant vocals, accompanied by Dominic ‘Dot’ Major’s slow and downbeat percussions and keyboard, in addition to Dan Rothman’s attentive guitar.

Frequently, there is a number that will stand out like a sore thumb, taking away the overall outstanding essence of the album. However, this is unequivocally not the case for the hearty album. This album’s tracklist flows through without any complication holding the fluent haunting style lasting from track to track. Starting from the top of the list, “Hey Now” is a mind and body enveloping number that initially gave way to London Grammar’s success. This placid track is one you can listen to when you need a moment for yourself and want to give your whole body an electrifying but warming chill. Each song after that provides a calming atmosphere and mood. London Grammar’s cover of Kavinsky’s “Nightcall” is one of the numbers that offers Reid’s rich baritone voice. As the  song progresses and reaches the chorus, her baritone voice is pushed away and turned into a higher pitched and chilling tone. The tracklist ends with “When We Were Young”, a lighter and upbeat song that still carries a sense of Reid’s ‘haunting’ vocals. Major and Rothman’s percussions and guitar aid and create the foundation in the upbeat tempo presented. All together with Reid’s vocals, this track is a great finish to the pop album.

If You Wait is an album you should have at least a song or two from in your music library. The trio’s effortless album has won many hearts this past year and will most probably win hundreds more in the world as time passes. Hopefully, in future projects, London Grammar will keep their ambient sound but also explore other areas of music. But for now, you would be crazy not to check out this unbelievable album and group!

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Here’s where you can stream their full album online (via Spotify): http://goo.gl/o5tsbt 

If Spotify doesn’t work in your country, here’s a YouTube playlist of the full album: goo.gl/dmYMMl

Official Website: www.londongrammar.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/londongrammar

Facebook: www.facebook.com/londongrammar

-Dahlia

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