Review: Childhood - Lacuna

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Nottingham quartet, Childhood's, debut album has been a long time coming but after hearing the finished product in all its eleven track glory; it was definitely well worth the wait.

 

Lacuna kicks off with 'Blue Velvet,' a track we were introduced to almost two years ago. It's hazy guitars and tinny percussion giving it a sort of child-like charm; summer dripping from every chord. Tracks like 'Falls Away,' however, introduce a much more sophisticated and sharp side to the band with Ben Romans-Hopcraft's demure, whispered vocals and break-beat drums amidst restrained, oscillating guitars. This seems to be the framework for the entire album; certain tracks are sun-drenched and laid-back ('You Could Be Different,' 'As I Am,' and 'Pay For Cool') whereas others come from somewhere much more mature ('Right Beneath Me,' and 'When You Rise').

 

The band's second single 'Solemn Skies' is an obvious highlight with its kaleidoscopic guitars and anthemic chorus reminding us of exactly why we fell in love with this band in the first place. However, when surrounded by ten other top-shelf tracks, it's hard to place this one on a pedestal.

Childhood are living proof that taking time to perfect a debut, rather than bashing out a hype album on a major label, provides the best results. Lacuna is free of filler tracks which is very refreshing given the amount of bands dabbling in similar genres and producing nothing particularly commendable.