2013 has been a hell of a year for discovering new music, starting off with the Postelles, then Clean Bandit, Ms Mr, Half Moon Run, Haim and finally I’m finishing off the year with Nottingham trip pop trio London Grammar.
London Grammar, made up of Hannah Reid, Dot Major and Dan Rothman have risen to fame over the last year, with their first album If You Wait to reach number 2 in both the UK and Australian charts and receiving a Mercury Music Prize nomination in the process, hardly a surprise given that the album is a combination of songs that are cool yet packed with emotion, using Reid’s voice to its full potential, mixing perfectly with the guitar, synth and piano backing.
The tranquillity of Reid’s voice is the focal point of the album, transitioning well from the slower melody-based ballads, such as Strong and Wasting My Young Years to the more chilled house compositions such as Metal & Dust, with the album as a while feeling like a cross between Massive Attack and The XX, while adding some unique touches to keep their sound fresh.
London Grammar’s songs are very atmospheric, mixing in beautiful arrangements, topped off with Reid’s angelic vocals, producing the perfect album for the winter season, providing the listener with a healthy doing of emotion, without becoming overwhelming, all of this makes their debut album a very strong contender for album of the year.
Tour
January
28th – Cardiff University Student Union
29th – Manchester Academy
31st – Rock City, Nottingham
February
1st – Corn Exchange, Cambridge
3rd – Brighton Dome
4th – Troxy, London
7th – O2 Academy, Liverpool
8th – O2 Academy, Sheffield
10th – University of Northumbria Student Union, Newcastle
11th – O2 ABC, Glasgow
12th – O2 Academy, Leeds
15th – O2 Academy, Bournemouth
16th – O2 Academy, Birmingham*
17th – O2 Academy, Bristol
*I will be attending the Birmingham date, so expect a review of their live show.