London Grammar – The Greatest Love

London Grammar has been at the forefront of the indie pop landscape for over a decade since their debut album ‘If You Wait’ in 2013. Hannah Reid’s ethereal vocals hypnotise fans, in a blend of slow tracks and dance numbers. The trio returns with their fourth album, the much anticipated ‘The Greatest Love’. This marks the first album since Reid’s baby, a theme touched upon in the album’s promotion. 

The pre-album tracks have offered a flavour of what to expect with lead single and opening track ‘House’ starting with an almost garage-like opening with Reid’s vocals gradually introduced. It is certainly a statement of intent and a more out-and-out dance track. You can hear the house influences on the group here and it is already a strong live track, as evidenced by the reception at their Glastonbury set. 

‘Fakest Bitch’ is more stripped back with acoustic guitars and the piano accompanying Reid’s vocals, offering a more vulnerable to the group and positioning her voice at the forefront. The rawness of the lyrics and sound stands out and it is one of the most striking tracks the group has put out to date, with a haunting beauty to it. 

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‘You And I’ feels like an expansion of the sound of the group’s previous album ‘Californian Soil’, again it is the open lyrics that help make this a potent track. While Reid’s vocals have always been one of the band’s main assets, it feels like she is delivering some of her best work on this album in soaring choruses or more intimate moments. ‘You And I’ has a cinematic quality as it explodes in its climactic moments with strings and other elements coming into play. It is a slight departure but shows a willingness to experiment. 

‘LA’ feels like a tonic of the house/dance moments on ‘House’, coupled with the more indie sound the group started out with, an encapsulation of their sound in one track. The second single ‘Kind Of Man’ is another stellar moment, the drumbeats brining almost jazz grooves with some smooth guitars. It has a real infectious energy. ‘Into Gold’ is one of the most expansive tracks on the album at just under six minutes, it showcases the more electronic side of the group, building into a swirling dance anthem. 

‘The Greatest Love’ feels like a real statement from London Grammar, for a band that has been around for over a decade and with plenty of success to date, they are keen to innovate and show a variety of influences and textures. It is surprisingly raw in its lyricism and sound at times and the blend between its more intimate moments and huge choruses captures what makes them such a unique act, finding the perfect balance throughout. This contains some of the band’s best work to date and will reward long-term fans and newcomers alike. 

8/10 

Words: Christopher Connor

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