Watch: Landshapes - "Insomniacs Club"

Earlier this year UK quartet Landshapes made themselves known in a big way. Previously known as Lulu & The Lampshades and most notable for "Cups (You're Gonna Miss Me)", they reemerging sounding like a different beast entirely. Their single "In Limbo" marked their transformation into an innovative rock band from the cute folk duo of their early days, it was a subtle shift perhaps to their London showgoers but to their foreign fanbase it seemed like an overnight renaissance. But I'm not sure anyone's complaining - Landshapes are leaner and seem to have stumbled upon the perfect balance between instrumental tumult and hair-raisingly good vocals.

In their new video for "Insomniacs Club", the darker textures explored on "In Limbo" return - perhaps even more so this time around. Haunting and a tad bit of foreboding, "Insomniacs Club" unravels with subtle nuance of psychological thriller told through lyrics. I'm sure the video, taken from director Ian Pons Jewel's 1/4", certainly doesn't hurt. It's an occasionally horrifying bit of intrigue as a sound artist finds herself besieged by terrifyingly surreal nightmares. If the video's style or main actress seem all familar to you it's probably due to Crystal Fighters' video for "Follow" featuring the same director and actress. 

While non-UK fans of the band wait for Landshapes' debut full length Rambutan to street elsewhere there is a bit of good news. Landshapes will be heading over to the US to play a handful of shows at this year's CMJ Music Marathon. I strongly recommend you hit up this rare opportunity to see them play as well as harrass them about the lack of a US release date, at least that's what I'll be doing. 

Watch: Landshapes - "In Limbo"

It's taken Landshapes (formerly Lulu & The Lampshades) about five years of just existing, of playing shows in their native London to get to this moment: the release of their debut full length. On "In Limbo", the first single from their Bella Union debut, all vestiges of the cute folk pop responsible for "Feet to the Sky" or perhaps more famously "Cups (You're Gonna Miss Me)" has been burned off. In it's wake is a technically precise rock band with explosive vocal talents. The vocal chops are certainly nothing new but stripped from the rather quaint folky confines they certain do seem far more impressive. Soaring over the tumultuous, heaving guitar lines. Even sans the instrumental clamor, the vocals are distinctive; memorable.

And almost as delightfully surprising as their apparently sudden change in sound (if you live abroad and/or haven't seen them live) is the video for "In Limbo". Shot by Ian Pons Jewell in La Paz, Bolivia, follows the life of a female wrestler. It provides a vibrant glimpse into the indigenous culture while also focusing on the duality of the two female. After the woman takes her time delicately sprucing just to walk the streets and arrive to at wrestling while the others are more modestly dressed and dedicate their efforts toward fighting the other wrestlers. The female wrestlers' one moment of fashion-consciousness is short-lived as they get dressed up to enter the ring but after which they discards the costume that would no doubt encumber them.



So while it may have taken them awhile to get to this point, transforming in a lot of ways until to wholly new band, if "In Limbo" is any indication, it was labor well expelled. Landshapes has turned sleek and powerful, strong but dexterous and their debut album Rambutan promises to be something special. The full length is out May 17th on Bella Union. No world yet on a US date but here's to hoping.

Pitstop: Landshapes

It's hard to believe it's been about three years since I was first introduced to British folk outfit Lulu and the Lampshades over on Eardrums Music. Since then the group has been more or less silently plying their trade and has most notably undergone a name change. They're now called Landshapes and in a rush of new-name fervor we're getting new tracks from the group. 

One of the most famous tracks from Landshapes in their Lulu and the Lampshades days was "Cups(You're Gonna Miss Me)"  named after their rather impressive ability to create percussive effects with a set of stackable cups and it seems they have no intentions of shelving the track anytime soon. Which is a relief since it's probably one of my favorite tracks to come from the group (Though in truth there were only about two others to choose from). Landshapes uploaded "Cups" to their bandcamp along with a new track by the name of "Cold Water" which is rather in-line with their brand of peppy harmony-laden chamber pop.  

There's also demo of a song called "Racehorse" which is rather reminscient of a slower, much less dance-y North Highlands. It's also the most down tempo track we've heard from the quartet so far so that's pretty exciting. It's not all sunshine and rainbow-tinted folk pop. Instead for "Racehorse", the quartet channel their more experimental side and really showcase some vocals. It's a refreshing change of pace, really.