Lankum’s steady ascent to a position more akin to cherished cultural institution than simply another mortifyingly parochial “one of our own!” song and dance successes is a fittingly grassroots one. Fittingly grassroots, of course, due to the twin poles of both Lankum’s sound and origins rooted in DIY punk and squat culture considered in concert with long storied, in some instances nigh forgotten, examples of traditional sound and song endemic to the island.
With False Lankum the quartet are eagerly testing the parameters of their established sound as further electronic tones are intermingled with their at this stage trademark brand of absorptive acoustic drones. Clearly tailored to be considered as one holistic experience buttressed with a trio of expertly engineered instrumental “Fugues”. This integrated approach to the shaping of the LP is all the more rewarding considering the specificity in approach apparent in each track. ‘Clear Away in the Morning’, for example, possesses a rare warmth that stands apart from the chest beating marches or the stark, granite walls of emotion we have come to expect from the troupe. It’s as rich and deeply felt as anything Lankum have done before while also enveloping the listener in something more akin to an aural tweed throw rather than a sheet of freezing fog.
Very few bands will remind you of The Kinks and Swans over the course of one LP and that treat is all the more notable when some of the songs being showcased pre-date combustion engines. Another triumph from a genuinely vital group.
Lankum – False Lankum
Words: Danny Wilson
