4/5
Grammar Points West.
London baby! By way of Cali. Out in Tokyo, Japan this writer also moonlights as an English teacher. So how about a grammar lesson (even if it is my weakest point)? Let's get down to the soil of things. Hailing from Nottingham like a Robin Hood arrow, London Grammar are one of the United Kingdom's capital acts on the radio. The inspired indie pop sound of Hannah Reid, Dan Rothman and Dominic 'Dot' Major is exactly his second name to the tee. Like if the Black Keys of Dan Auerbach collaborated with 'Brooklyn Baby' Lana Del Rey down on the chemtrails 'West Coast' permanently. Or it was a case of Florence and the drum machines. Their debut extended play 'Metal and Dust' gathered more than that like a rolling stone. Whilst LDN's full length opener 'If You Wait' was worth all that eager anticipation. The number 2 UK album may have not hit the top spot, but who cares? It went platinum...twice. Who can say that these days outside of Taylor, Gaga and Bey? Grammar did reach number one with their 2017 sophomore smash hit though. Their signature 'Truth Is A Beautiful Thing' speaker hallmark deceleration is a certified classic. Their Ministry of Sound is famous like their Chris Issak covering 'Wicked Game'. Trailering with the BBC's Birmingham mob hit 'Peaky Blinders' (rest peacefully Helen McCrory). So how do you follow all of that? How about Hollywood for their great America conquer? Well, I guess that was more like a history lesson after all for a band already over a decade in under the sun. Now in these California nights in LA, London give you an album Bethany Cosentino would be proud of a year after her 'Always Tomorrow'. This is 'California Soil' for your soul. This is the Best Coast.
Burning up in temperature, mood embraces have never stirred the twilight senses quite like these orange and pink hued skies in a CA night. After an inspired 'Intro' that really shows you the roots of Reid's vocal range on a cinematic canvas we get down to the 'Californian Soil' of the albums lead title track that's even more evokingly and uplifting in its after hours euphoria now all the clubs are closed. "I left my soul/On Californian soil/And I left my pride/With that woman by my side/I never had a willing hand/And I never had a plan/But I'm glad I found you here/But I'm glad I've got you here," Hannah harmonises. Right before the moving 'Missing' were she sings, "She's in the kitchen, best believe in that/ She's cooking up a real storm for you/Traditional mixture", with lyrics and themes that take aim at misogynistic beliefs in this modern world. Beliefs that are outdated as any nostalgia to those ignorant ideas. Keeping hers on 'Lose Your Head' Reid is a revelation. 'Lord It's A Feeling' and one of the 'Californian' albums most amazing tracks she really sings for the heavens and the earthbound feeling of lost love. "I saw the way you made her feel/Like she should be somebody else/I saw the way she tried to hold you/When your heart was just a shell/I saw the words she wrote that broke my heart /It was a living hell/I saw the way you laughed behind her back/When you f##### somebody else." Red raw truth for a time were we have no belief for anything else. Praise be.
'How Does It Feel'? Like the bands best album to date, even next to their breathtaking breakthrough, 'Truth Is A Beautiful Thing' (see?!). This just feels like the act of an established group in their stunning stride. Riding like the Cali highways that take them to the top of the world. 'Baby It's You', just like the lamenting lyrics, "All these lights are changing, see them everywhere/In my veins like lightning, I don't even care/And the crowd is heavy, I don't wanna move/All these colours in me, but all I see is you/And nothing else matters". All for the soaring single that was this bands first in three years to introduce this long awaited and eagerly anticipated 'Truth' follow-up. It's a beautiful thing. Just like 'All My Love'. 'Call Your Friends', because these songs will take you higher. Even further than the substance of a Saturday night, or the sobering nature of Sunday morning. From the club to the church. This exists somewhere in-between. Like the mid-nite hour alone. When it's just you and your headphones streaming through your consciousness and all your minds mesmerizing thoughts. 'Talking' to yourself with Grammar and lasting lyrics like, "Oh-oh-oh, all of these changes/Keep on following me/Visions that wake me relentless", and all of the 'oh-oh-oh' Hannah harmonies. As uplifting as a Norah Jones 'Sunrise' in the same week this woman in music like the hallmark Haim from the valley releases her latest live album, ''Till We Meet Again'. Melodies like this just make music heal all the hurt and coming our of a coronavirus inflicted lockdown at home, this London ministry that still misses the speaker sound of nightclubs in concert reminisce on how much they want those epic evenings on 'I Need The Night'. All before these new Californian Kings and Queen by way of the big smoke give us an ode to 'America' that feels like a classic from one of the land of the frees very own greatest as a closer. Joni to Janis. Talking about "chasing America" forever like Razorlight. Singing,"And I hope that you find it, all that you need/I hope that you stay young and wild and free/You'll have America/And I hope that you're better than all of your friends/I hope that they hold you until the end/You can have America/Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm." Even without a green card you can add this one to the great American songbook. Um-hum. It's California Grammar now my London lights. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Playlist Picks: 'Missing', 'Lord It's A Feeling', 'America'.
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