Album Review: London Grammar - Truth Is A Beautiful Thing

Any conversation about London Grammar's new album must surely begin and end with Hannah Reid's voice.

Exhibit A: lead single Rooting For You, whose melody spans Reid's incredible range, from the opening deep-chest murmur, via her soulful mid-range to the delicate head-note arpeggios of the chorus. At the same time, there's no doubting the collective effort the UK trio bring to the table. There's plenty of well-placed texture, from Dan Rothman's reverb-heavy guitar trills on Big Picture to the skittering percussion and solemn piano arpeggios of brood-pop psalm Leave The War With Me.

The arrangements throughout are minimalist and atmospheric, employing strings, keys and highly disciplined dynamics to carve spaces within which Reid's voice can reverberate. The evocatively titled Bones Of Ribbon skids along on an insistent skein of hi-hat and syncopated snare, while the synth-and-piano combo of the title track form a stoney cocoon in which Reid strikes a prayerful pose. It's been four years since debut LP If You Wait; by turns warm, earnest and sublime, Truth Is A Beautiful Thing has been worth the wait. Plump for the deluxe version and you'll get an extra seven tracks, including a fragile-sounding acoustic demo of Rooting For You, and a slow-burning live take on The Verve's Bitter Sweet Symphony.