London & Lanterns on the Lake

Cheers from London! I was visiting my home away from home and for the first time I stayed in east London, Hackney, to be exact. I know it’s pretty much hipstrict nowadays, but that didn’t stop me from loving the vibe. Few years ago I lived in south London and while I did spend a few blurry nights in Shoreditch, I never really focused on the east. This time I did, (and almost didn’t see the bloody river on my stay) and spent my days in small cafés, clubs and wandered around checking out the street art. And enjoyed music.

I have a few habits concerning London and one is always visiting the Rough Trade Shoreditch record store and never leaving without buying music. This time I picked up an album from a British indie rock band Lanterns On the Lake, hailing from Newcastle-upon-tyne.

I’d heard only one song from the band earlier, but as it happens, it’s a song that has a very special meaning to me. While Lungs Quicken is a slow, atmospheric song, it has that amazing life-affirming effect to it, which reminds me a lot of the Icelandic band Sigur Ros.

So I bought their new album, Beings. The album has a heavy feeling to it, but in a lingering, gentle way. You won’t fall in love with it on first listen, as it demands your full, undivided attention. While the album does its job as an easy background music, it truly grows into its full potential when tuned up. The beautifully drawn out landscapes open and Hazel Wilde’s voice drags you into a dreamy, haunting world where pianos and shuffling drums shiver your bones. I’m being poetic here, but so is the music.