Album Review: London Grammar – If You Wait
This feels like one of those ‘we’ve been waiting for this for a very long time’ debut albums. Although London Grammar have been a band now for a couple of years, it was only last December that they released their debut single, ‘Hey Now’. Straight after being signed, they rushed into the studio, only to emerge a few months later with the end product. Yet it feels like we’ve been waiting a while for If You Wait, the trio’s debut album. Perhaps we’re just impatient.
If You Wait is an album packed with great songs, to put it quite simply. Each track stands on its own; there are no album fillers or unnecessarily long instrumentals here. London Grammar are classical and pop, minimal and rich, all at the same time. For lack of a better word, or just because it’s true, the vocals are beautiful. The rich, brooding voice of Hannah Reid is a perfect complement to the cinematic production of Dot Major and Dan Rothman.
‘Hey Now’, the song that first captivated our attention, reintroduces us to the familiar, atmospheric vibe of the band, whereas ‘Stay Awake’ has a certain hip-hop feel to it, with a rolling drumbeat throughout. It’s punchy and shows a different side to the band; best known for their ambient, chilled sound – cue the inevitable comparisons made to The xx. Understandable of course, however London Grammar differ in the diversity of their songs. Tracks such as ‘Wasting My Young Years’ and ‘Flickers’ are more uptempo, veering away from their traditionally melancholic, minimal sound.
Let’s just take a minute to appreciate their version of ‘Nightcall’, originally made famous by Kavinsky for being the soundtrack to the opening credits of Drive, you know, that film with God.. I mean, Gosling being all silent and smouldering. Here, the electro-pop hit is stripped down to piano and vocals to give us a brilliant, slow-building rendition.
The mournful ‘Metal & Dust’ disputes the contradictions often made in relationships, “We argue, we don’t fight”, whereas Reid sings about her own capabilities and fortitude in ‘Strong’. This song has been given plenty of radio loving and for good reason too. It already sounds like a timeless song, one that will be played still in years to come, evoking the same emotions. Mark my words. The closing track, ‘If You Wait’, is a grandiose, heartfelt ballad – no better way to end a remarkably consistent debut album.
If You Wait is an album guaranteed to outlive the hype. Current, yet classic; clear, yet concise – London Grammar are in it for the long haul.
– Clare Povey
