London Grammar
“Metal & Dust”
Metal & Dust / Hey Now 7″ (out 02/25 on Metal & Dust)
I approached young London trio, London Grammar, with quite a bit of apprehension after their admitedly very impressive debut single, “Hey Now,” hit late last year. Simply put, they felt a little too good to be true. Their sound and image seemed a little too fully realized for such a young band, and as we learned from our dear friend Señorita Del Rey, it’s simply too easy to effusively praise and set unrealistic expectations for young artists nowadays.
However, their follow-up single — the remarkably restrained, exquisitely crafted, “Metal & Dust” — makes it even tougher not to fire up the “these guys are going to be FUCKING huge” hype machine. Hannah Reid’s evocative, pliable voice combines the sensual power of Jessie Ware with the vulnerability of Romy Madley Croft (hyperbolic, but accurate) and is nimbly supported by a delicate, swelling arraignment that recalls Ms. Croft’s group. Their true acid test will come when they unleash their debut full-length (lest we forget that Lana had “Video Games” AND “Blue Jeans”), but they are off to a hell of a start.
