London Grammar’s fourth album, “The Greatest Love”, marks the return of the British trio with a mix of familiar sounds and new nuances, consolidating their musical evolution.
Eleven years after their debut, the band formed by Hannah Reid, Dan Rothman and Dot Major today finds themselves in a position of creative security, experimenting with new forms without straying from the roots that made them beloved.
From the first notes of “The Greatest Love”, an artistic maturation is perceived. Hannah Reid’s voice, increasingly rich and dynamic, is the common thread of an album that flaunts raw and confessional lyrics, offering a personal and direct introspection.
In songs like Fakest Bitch and You And I, the singer indulges in disarming reflections on relationships and self-awareness, exhibiting a powerful vulnerability. Reid, now married and a mother, brings a new perspective that is reflected in her words, making the stories she tells even more impactful.
From a musical point of view, however, “The Greatest Love” does not always manage to match the emotional strength of the lyrics. While on the one hand we find tracks like Kind Of Manwhich evoke the more intense atmospheres of the previous albums thanks to distorted funk guitars and raised vocals, on the other hand, many of the songs lack the characteristic sonic impact that fans expect.
The musical approach seems, at times, too polite, almost in contrast with the emotional charge of the lyrics. This creates an oscillation between moments of great intensity, as in the opener House with its nervous electronic rhythm and trip hop echoes that risk seeming excessively restrained.
The best songs are those where the musical tension aligns perfectly with the narrative, as in the title track “The Greatest Love,” which closes the album with an explosion of emotion.
Here, the band manages to achieve the maximum balance between lyrics and instrumentation, offering an epic finale that encapsulates the essence of the album: a declaration of love and artistic freedom.
Despite lacking some of the sonic spark that characterized their previous productions, the album represents a solid chapter in their career, proving that the trio continues to move with confidence and ambition in the musical landscape.
MUST LISTEN NOW
House – You and I – Kind of Man
MUST SKIPP NOW
A disc that can be listened to and does not require skipping
SCORE: 6.75
House – Score 7.00
Fakest Bitch – Vote 7.00
You and I – Vote 7.25
LA – Score 6.50
Ordinary Life – Score 6.50
Santa Fe – Score 6.50
Kind of Man – Score 7.25
Rescue – Vote 7.00
Into Gold – Score 6.75
The Greatest Love – Rating 7.00
