London Grammar have graced us with yet another intrepid single in the form of Big Picture. It is lyrically and musically rousing, detailed and kind of difficult to pin down in a structural sense. The song seems to grow organically as opposed to relying on a verse and chorus structure in order to develop. Atmospheric electronic sounds are met with a catchy electric guitar melody, gently repetitive keys, subtle choral textures and fast paced drums and a strong but equally gentle bassline which supports the whole shebang. Hannah Reid’s voice, of course, is as powerful and beautiful as every previous offering, and the loose structure of the piece seems to emphasize this further. Although If You Wait is a widely celebrated album, and I probably wouldn’t have complained if this year’s offerings felt like a continuation of previous offerings, London Grammar seems to have grown their composition and execution in a way that feels really effortless. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to stop everything you’re doing and pay attention to what you’re hearing. It’s certainly difficult to pin down, but this somehow makes it even more absorbing. It’s really exciting to consider what the band’s full length album will be like. If Big Picture is anything to go by, we can expect a collection of songs that are equal parts authenticity and flawlessness. It is this quality that seems to blend the old world with the new – a delicately strong female vocal with a distinctly live quality is undercut by a whole variety of instruments and electronic threads, as difficult to identify as they are soothing to the ear. Treble melodies drift in and out of the piece, creating light and dark to rival the most detailed of arrangements, whilst warm bassy sounds ground the piece in a way that is almost not even noticeable.
I suppose you could summarise the instrumental of Big Picture by describing it as many beautiful elements, working together to create one seamless masterpiece that is difficult to dissect and really, really easy on the ears. It’s a thoughtful, complex song in which each sound feels both considered and effortless. It’s so wonderful to see the direction in which London Grammar has grown, and I simply cannot wait to listen to their full album, to be released before the end of June, 2017.
