Hannah Reid’s low sonorous voice of the London grammar trio is one of the most luxurious in the UK. Surrounded by sober guitar bracelets and electronics, his words slowly came out, sounding beautiful and fashionable for both albums.
But that is enough. When recording their third album, California soil, Reid throws away his Snow Queen image. She allowed the gospel and soul tradition into her voice, which now leads to a single cycle in London grammatical style. Not pompous, like blinking an eye. The senses are still persistent, and Reed’s song suddenly trembles, sadness or pleasure.
The music may be soothing, but it makes more sense. The ‘soul’ that London grammar has been searching for for some time is now available. Songs like ‘Lord It’s a Feeling’ and ‘Missing’ are short and huge.
A version of this article appeared in the April 29, 2021 issue of NRC Handelspot
A version of this article was also published in the NRC on the morning of April 29, 2021