London soil

 

A lot has been said (in Europe) about London Grammar: emerging in the early 2010’s with their highly visible first album If You Wait, they came back even stronger in 2017 with Truth Is a Beautiful Thing, only to then go on a bit a hiatus. The reason for that was not merely a need for vacation: singer Hannah Reid fell into a self-described burnout following their sophomore album’s rather demanding promotional tour. And it was not just the tour: the pressures of fame, of often being the only woman in the room, all that at a (still) very young age, would have proven hard for anyone…

After taking the required time off, Reid started working with bandmates Dot Major and Dan Rothman again, now focusing on somewhat more upbeat material. The stylistic change from their original and rather melancholic Lana Del Rey – meets – Massive Attack sound was a clear sign that the singer was growing as an artist, and was also successfully battling the pitfalls the first two albums and subsequent tours had created for her. Themes of feminism, fame… and America started to emerge in the newly produced work.

And, a couple of weeks ago and after 4 prior singles (!), we finally got to hear the entire piece. A couple of things stand out right away upon listen. First, as has always been the case with London Grammar, the work presented on third album Californian Soil is very subtly crafted, something that is made clear from the “Intro” and all the way down to the interesting album closer that is “America”. Second, the mood is indeed rosier here than in most of the band’s previous material: the underlying beats on songs like “How Does It Feel” or “Lose Your Head” (interestingly, both having been released as singles) convey a sense of lightness and, dare we say, joy that is very welcome from the band in particular and in this day and age in general…

Finally, and perhaps more importantly, the contemplative nature of the band’s work now seemingly has a purpose, or overall theme if you will: and that is a very contemporary electronica-infused take on the American dream. How much of it is responsible for the more optimistic tone of the album is somewhat unclear, but that may be besides the point. What matters is — you have the trio exploring themes that are inherently associated with hope and dreams for a better tomorrow. And that’s pretty much what we need…

Californian Soil is the second London Grammar album to top the UK album charts (the first album “only” reaching second place). A very fitting tribute to the beautiful work the British trio shared with the world at a time when good music is very much in demand — especially when it is hopeful…