Music Mouth: Review of London Grammar - If You Wait

Music Mouth:

Review of London Grammar - If You Wait

(****)

London Grammar’s debut album If You Wait brings you hallowing, haunting vocals with a combination of sounds and most of which never appear to forget evidence of piano keys, especially in ‘Nightcall’. Female vocalist Hannah Reid really shows likeliness to Florence Welch and Birdy as she guides us through this album. Unfortunately I feel the songs on the album end with so much more potential, leaving the feeling that there is more to what the song entails than what is let on.

I remember when I heard ‘Wasting My Young Years’ for the first time and instantly Reid’s unbelievable voice sent shivers sidling down my spine, catching every nerve on the way. The ambience of this song pulled me in and I found it stuck on repeat for the entirety of the evening. This album creates an illusion of live recordings and the beauty of it doesn’t take much to give a sense of what their live performance have in store. The power of ‘Wasting My Young Years’, much like a lot of their songs grabs you. It takes you as far as the build-up of instruments when Reid sings ‘Maybe, we are’ as well as bringing you straight back to the simplicity of the piano that accompanies her. Each second of this song is musically mesmerising – creating an impression which I promise you will not be forgotten any time soon.

The drama and depth to each song is definitely not delicate. Yes, they’re not exactly a band to complement a sunny day but perhaps this talent will seem more suitable to your ears on a mellow and rainy one spent with nothing on the cards. Even the collaboration, ‘Help Me Lose My Mind’ with Disclosure doesn’t disappoint; the trance, electronic melodies seem to fit right alongside Reid’s reverberating vocals. So if you want to be introduced to an album with nothing less than perfection seeping from every verse and chorus then get this on your iPod!