Longview - 'Mercury' (14th Floor)
3/5
By: Toby L
Amidst the clamour of a vigorous, teeming music-era, the art and grace of innocence has somewhere been left behind. Our blessing now that Longview are here to remind us of its enduring relevance.
And, OK - we'll cut to the chase: this is indie, in its most puritanical, biscuit-dunking-in-tea sense. There, it's been said.
Yet this leaves us to address its perks. Longview are the wistful, dreamy-eyed, romantics that the world forgot existed; Chris Martins with a lack of Hollywood-girlfriend aloofness, and sombre Morrissey aficionados just a tad able to become in touch with their feminine sides. Every song on the excessively-touring quartet's debut-LP - 'Mercury' - is a spirited, entirely sincere endeavour to appeal to the few caring types of us left out there. And, as such, seldom falls flat.
From its opening, God-rending burst of elevating soulful-pop (recent top-30 abductee, 'Further') 'Mercury' is a lean, clean and consistent listen, captivated with its own, at times, stark drive to remain as sweetly engrossing in as minimalist a capacity as possible. The cynics will cry, 'Twee', the kids will retort, 'Epic'.
And, on occasion, the pace bolsters to a feedback-squealing growl ('When You Sleep', or the similarly-toned chug of 'Nowhere'), but otherwise keeps on the straight and narrow to lavishly, tastefully creating a desolate soundtrack of hymn-like anthems for the deeply unaffected; just try and not gasp at a tear-jerking 'Falling For You', or a class-dripping play-out via the strings-soaked 'This Is'. What also with frontman Rob McVey's warming croon servicing as a track-to-track high-point, this is understated serenity at its most naοve, openly pretty and accessible.
Resoundingly alone, Longview may not subscribe to fashion or pretence, but what they lack in celebrity-friends and killer haircuts they'll make up for in a bond far more unshakeable and timeless than via here-today-gone-tomorrow socialites - and that's with the greater, adoring public.
Artists in this article: Longview
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