London Grammar’s third album ‘Californian Soil’ is a lyrical exploration of the complexity of relationships, coupled with layered synths, strings and Hannah Reid’s contralto vocals.
Vocalist Hannah Reid describes ‘Californian Soil’ as “The metaphor of the whole album, something stunningly beautiful that everyone aspires to, with a dark underbelly to it“. London Grammar also streamed a live performance of the entire album from Alexandra Palace as part of the album release. The session included a short interview, where the band reflected on the strength of their relationship as a whole. You can really feel the cohesiveness and harmony of the group throughout this new album.
Reid recently gave an interview to The Independent where she gave us an insight into taking creative control, and dealing with sexism in the music industry: “…It was very, very toxic at points for me because you can never really prove that it’s happening. No one is ever going to admit, ‘Oh yeah actually, I did that because you’re a woman’ – but you know that’s the reason“. We can definitely feel some of that frustration within ‘Californian Soil’. Reid combats the sexism she has experienced in her own way, by leading the creative development of the album as a lyricist and a producer.
‘Intro‘ showcases the best of Reid’s vocals and couples them with strings. It is a strong opener, which gives us an insight into the range of musicality the album will showcase during its 44-minute run. The beautiful strings and guitar-led instrumentals on the title track ‘Californian Soil’ are juxtaposed with the dark lyrics of feeling faceless and nameless.
“But I never felt the same / And this life is just a game”
‘Missing’ introduces a choir accompaniment that lifts the song and gives the chorus and bridge depth, with the lyrics written in an observational format. The track uses ethereal and sublime instrumentals, coupled with lyrical content that explores darkness and human struggle. ‘Lose Your Head‘ and ‘Lord It’s a Feeling‘ both explore toxic relationships and how people are manipulated in different contexts. The use of synth and keyboards in ‘Lord It’s a Feeling’ leads to a combination of powerful vocals and percussion, which aptly conveys the pain felt in such a manipulative situation.
‘How Does It Feel’ brings a feeling of lightness to the album with its pop beat. This light and positive nature flows into ‘Baby It’s You‘, a track that explores the theme of falling in love. ‘Call Your Friends’ continues with this theme of love within a relationship, whilst ‘All My Love‘ explores the devotional aspect of romantic love. ‘Talking‘ begins with piano instrumentals (written by Dominic ‘Dot’ Major) and explores the potential unknown futures of a relationship. The album comes to an emotive end with ‘America‘, where the hope of true self-love is realised.
‘Californian Soil’ examines relationships from a female perspective, of Reid herself and her female friends. The vocals speak of toxic situations, their effects on the human psyche, and the process of taking control through the catharsis of music. ‘Californian Soil’ explores finding love again, through positivity and healing.
