Live: London Grammar

27th October

Sound Control

8/10

This time last year London Grammar had not even released a single, now they have reached No. 2 in the UK album charts with If You Wait and have a US tour under their belt. The band attracted an older audience to Sound Control, with many students and seniors rubbing shoulders in the intimate venue. Having met at Nottingham University only four years previous, the indie-pop-trio have created an original, minimalist sound, mixing electronic synthetic beats with a droned guitar and a classical, echoing voice.

Hannah Reid took centre stage and had the crowd instantly hushed with her opening note in ‘Hey Now’. Compared frequently to Florence and the Machine and The XX, you can’t help but feel that her vocals really are one of a kind, capturing everyone’s attention with her stylistic use of ornaments and melismas. Particular highlights were ‘Darling are you going to leave me’ with Hannah on piano and Dot on bongos, together sharing the vocals with seamless transition.

They really got the crowd going with their Top 40 hit ‘Wasting my younger years’, with its emotional lyrics and climactic choruses. Its pulsing melody was the first time the audience really began to let loose, amazed by Hannah’s voice, the audience beckoned people to ‘ssh’ if a noise was made. Finishing with ‘Metal and Dust’ they really took advantage of the darkened stage, their subtle use of strobe lighting complimented Hannah’s countermelody. Although the gig was less than an hour, everyone left satisfied. The band’s interaction with the audience perhaps showed why they have acquired such a loyal following so quickly.