Diabolical

London Grammar: Californian Soil

The eagerly awaited third release by London Grammar, Californian Soil has been a long time coming. After launching to stardom in 2013 with debut album If You Wait (now certified double platinum), the trio have established a distinctive, heady-yet-mellow sound as their trademark, spearheaded by Hannah Reid’s beautifully haunting contralto vocals.

Reid considered quitting the music industry altogether in the years following their 2017 sophomore album, Truth Is a Beautiful Thing, so Californian Soil is assured and ambitious, with critics praising it as “hypnotically compelling”. This release sees the band produce some of their most buoyant sounds yet alongside lyrics exploring that difficult midpoint between albums, anchored by their characteristic ethereal melodies, for an end result that’s equal parts soothing and uplifting.