We were blown away when “Stay” from Landshapes arrived at our offices earlier this year so it’s no surprise that Heyoon, their just released full-length, has us even more excited. If “Stay” enthralled you as well then Heyoon will make you a fan for life.
“Fire” proves that “Stay” was no fluke and offers up some sonic diversity as this nice little slow jam of a ditty begins, reminiscent of ’90’s grunge with Meliss Auf Der Maur’s spirituality thrown in for good measure at times. “Moongee”, on the other hand, is dirty and slithers along with an almost evil drone while “Ader” is a rocker and a half opening with a primal scream before diving into some good old shimmering Pop with Heloise Tunstall-Behrens and Luisa Gerstein both taking turns at the mic.
Heyoon definitely proves to be a force of not only songwriting prowess but also projects sonic excellence propelled by the strength of the musicianship and dense, layered vocals of Gerstein, Tunstall-Behrens, and bassist Jemma Freeman. Together with drummer Dan Blackett they elevate tracks like “Lone Wolf” and the brilliant intimacy of “Red Electric Love Fern” into something more than a “song”: an experience!
Elsewhere, Landshapes push their limits and explore different genres with the almost Country feel of “Francois”. “Red Kite” pops up later and slows things down considerably building off an exquisite foundation of groove before “Rhino” just as perfectly ups the tempo and the sway factor. Finishing with the spacey banger “Desert” (With some surf rock-stylings) and the heavy guitar jam of “Solipsist”, Landshapes leave an impression that will stay with listeners long after the last note has faded.
Heyoon is out now through Bella Union. You can get your copy here from Bella Union or head to Amazon here.
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