LONDON GRAMMAR
''IF YOU WAIT''
SEPTEMBER 6 2013
65:06
1 Hey Now 03:24
2 Stay Awake 03:04
3 Shyer 03:04
4 Wasting My Young Years 03:20
5 Sights 04:09
6 Strong 04:32
7 Nightcall 04:27
8 Metal & Dust 03:25
9 Interlude (Live) 04:01
10 Flickers 04:40
11 If You Wait 04:39
12 Help 03:49
13 Darling Are You Gonna Leave Me 02:59
14 Help Me Lose My Mind 04:02
15 High Life 04:00
16 Maybe 04:20
17 When We Were Young 03:04
Dot Major – keyboards, percussion
Hannah Reid – vocals
Dan Rothman – guitar
REVIEW
by Scott Kerr (AllMusic)
English trio London Grammar have quietly amassed a body of atmospheric, electronic pop material since they first posted "Metal & Dust" on the internet in 2012. Partnered with an appearance on Disclosure's Mercury-nominated album Settle, the Nottingham University alumni had set the internet hype machine in motion, less than a year after forming. With obvious nods to the unfussy, reverbed guitar motifs of The xx, alongside Hannah Reid's beautiful, emotive vocal ability -- which rises and falls with an alarmingly disarming effect -- the album is a practice in refrain, where each song is pushed to the brink of an inevitable climax and achingly, no further. The percussive production, synths, and basslines provided by multi-instrumentalist Dot Major, build on this sense of drama and urgency and are displayed perfectly in one of the highlights of the record, "Wasting My Young Years." Its throbbing chorus is chastened by the slow-burning synths and guitars that come together with stunning results when coupled with Reid's vocal delivery. The obvious confidence Reid has in her own voice belies the apparent vulnerability in the words she sings throughout, and the piano ballad "Strong" is testament to the loneliness and heartbreak that encapsulates the brooding feel of the album, which conflicts with the almost upbeat, danceable moments scattered amongst "Flickers" and "Stay Awake." They pay homage to their electronic influences mid-album with a rework of Kavinsky's "Nightcall" that unfolds gently into one of the most boisterous cuts on the record. It's no surprise that Reid's strong vocals are at the forefront of London Grammar's sound, and her voice dominates their music in much the same way as Florence Welch's does in Florence + the Machine. However, although at times they come close to overshadowing the subtle instrumentation provided by Major and Dan Rothman, it’s actually the intrinsic balance between the contributions of all three that defines their sound.
BIOGRAPHY
by Scott Kerr (AllMusic)
English trio London Grammar combined sparse electronic pop in the model of the xx with dramatic, big-voiced lead singer Hannah Reid, whose vocals evoke contemporaries Florence Welch and Natasha Khan of Bat for Lashes. Reid and guitarist Dan Rothman met in the dorms of Nottingham University where they began writing music together in 2009 and later added multi-instrumentalist Dot Major to complete the lineup. The following years saw them refine their sound with atmospheric electronics and subtle percussion, and they often played to rooms of no more than ten people. Their popularity rose with the 2012 release of "Hey Now," which they uploaded to the internet, instantly finding a digital cult following. Their fans were not just in the U.K., but also on the other side of the world in Australia, where their self-released 2013 debut EP, Metal & Dust, reached the top of the digital charts. The same year they signed to Ministry of Sound and the single "Wasting My Young Years" appeared as the first release on the label. 2013 also saw them play a sold-out show at the Islington Assembly Hall and make an appearance at the Great Escape Festival in Brighton. In September 2013 the trio released their eagerly awaited debut album If You Wait.
''IF YOU WAIT''
SEPTEMBER 6 2013
65:06
1 Hey Now 03:24
2 Stay Awake 03:04
3 Shyer 03:04
4 Wasting My Young Years 03:20
5 Sights 04:09
6 Strong 04:32
7 Nightcall 04:27
8 Metal & Dust 03:25
9 Interlude (Live) 04:01
10 Flickers 04:40
11 If You Wait 04:39
12 Help 03:49
13 Darling Are You Gonna Leave Me 02:59
14 Help Me Lose My Mind 04:02
15 High Life 04:00
16 Maybe 04:20
17 When We Were Young 03:04
Dot Major – keyboards, percussion
Hannah Reid – vocals
Dan Rothman – guitar
REVIEW
by Scott Kerr (AllMusic)
English trio London Grammar have quietly amassed a body of atmospheric, electronic pop material since they first posted "Metal & Dust" on the internet in 2012. Partnered with an appearance on Disclosure's Mercury-nominated album Settle, the Nottingham University alumni had set the internet hype machine in motion, less than a year after forming. With obvious nods to the unfussy, reverbed guitar motifs of The xx, alongside Hannah Reid's beautiful, emotive vocal ability -- which rises and falls with an alarmingly disarming effect -- the album is a practice in refrain, where each song is pushed to the brink of an inevitable climax and achingly, no further. The percussive production, synths, and basslines provided by multi-instrumentalist Dot Major, build on this sense of drama and urgency and are displayed perfectly in one of the highlights of the record, "Wasting My Young Years." Its throbbing chorus is chastened by the slow-burning synths and guitars that come together with stunning results when coupled with Reid's vocal delivery. The obvious confidence Reid has in her own voice belies the apparent vulnerability in the words she sings throughout, and the piano ballad "Strong" is testament to the loneliness and heartbreak that encapsulates the brooding feel of the album, which conflicts with the almost upbeat, danceable moments scattered amongst "Flickers" and "Stay Awake." They pay homage to their electronic influences mid-album with a rework of Kavinsky's "Nightcall" that unfolds gently into one of the most boisterous cuts on the record. It's no surprise that Reid's strong vocals are at the forefront of London Grammar's sound, and her voice dominates their music in much the same way as Florence Welch's does in Florence + the Machine. However, although at times they come close to overshadowing the subtle instrumentation provided by Major and Dan Rothman, it’s actually the intrinsic balance between the contributions of all three that defines their sound.
BIOGRAPHY
by Scott Kerr (AllMusic)
English trio London Grammar combined sparse electronic pop in the model of the xx with dramatic, big-voiced lead singer Hannah Reid, whose vocals evoke contemporaries Florence Welch and Natasha Khan of Bat for Lashes. Reid and guitarist Dan Rothman met in the dorms of Nottingham University where they began writing music together in 2009 and later added multi-instrumentalist Dot Major to complete the lineup. The following years saw them refine their sound with atmospheric electronics and subtle percussion, and they often played to rooms of no more than ten people. Their popularity rose with the 2012 release of "Hey Now," which they uploaded to the internet, instantly finding a digital cult following. Their fans were not just in the U.K., but also on the other side of the world in Australia, where their self-released 2013 debut EP, Metal & Dust, reached the top of the digital charts. The same year they signed to Ministry of Sound and the single "Wasting My Young Years" appeared as the first release on the label. 2013 also saw them play a sold-out show at the Islington Assembly Hall and make an appearance at the Great Escape Festival in Brighton. In September 2013 the trio released their eagerly awaited debut album If You Wait.
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