There’s a good chance you’ve already heard the music of one Pete Lambrou, the creative force behind VLMV (pronounced “Alma”), from his plethora of soundtrack work. He has also supported Mono, Lonely The Brave, And So I Watch You From Afar, Nordic Giants and God Is An Astronaut. Having previously been signed to Fierce Panda and Erased Tapes, his fourth album There Will Come Soft Rains is brought to you by the Pelagic label. The album title comes from Sara Teasdale’s 1918 poem imagining a world continuing quietly after humanity’s disappearance. With such a weighty inspiration it’ll come as no surprise that that the sounds on this album maintain a level of heaviness.
Opener ‘Tribal (A Heart, Self-Taught) slowly glides in on some glacial electronic tones as Pete sings a beautifully tragic melody. The song builds with layers of gorgeous synths shimmering in the dusky light. ‘We Are All Explorers Now’ utilises a stuttering synth effect alongside some elegiac strings that sigh like a last breath. Opting for a minimal approach ‘The Pilot’ has some bleeping synth tones adding a light airy feeling. The mournful strings and rumbling percussion recall the majestic atmospherics of Sigur Ros. ‘Bodies Grown, Pt.1’ holds a ghostly presence with heaving synths and gentle hovering atmospherics. The stabbing synths return to underpin the gorgeous ‘In Absentia’ that features some delicate guitar work reminiscent of Radiohead’s intricate detail.
Pete’s voice perfectly mimics Jónsi from Sigur Rós in ‘I Am An Officer’. The arrangements swell beautifully with strings and piano courtesy of Marie Schreer and Clodagh Kennedy (violins) as well as Fraser Bowles and Ariana Kashef (cellos). For added melodic depth, Pete is also joined by singer Anja Madhvani. The exclamatory laden ‘Philistine! (Reclaim The Sky!)’ has brevity and minimalism hampering it a little but when the final notes ebb away, you’ll be holding back the tears. ‘Bodies Grown, Pt.2’ pulls the listener back to the familiar optimistic melody of part 1 this time with piano to embellish the atmospherics. Finally, ‘Somnolence In Reverse’ shimmers with a plethora of synths like the soundtrack to butterflies emerging from their cocoon. A warm hum of deep synths lurches forth in the most pleasing way, before intricate percussion adds a little texture and dynamic.
I’ve been listening to a lot of noisy music of late, some of which has come from the same label this album appears on. So, it’s been a nice distraction to settle into these beautiful soundscapes. The influences of Sigur Rós and Radiohead are bold and upfront, yet Pete has a great way with melody and a focus for concise songwriting. Something those two acts occasionally willfully stray away from. This is at times a mournful listen, but the songs may offer a little hope to lost souls, with their ornate beauty.
