More about: WH Lung

A follow up to their 2019 debut album Incidental Music, W.H. Lung’s sophomore effort Vanities is a colossal sonic leap forward into a brand-new direction centred around dance music. It’s a love letter to those dance floors that we’ve all missed over the past year or so.

A global pandemic taking place between the release of the debut and the sophomore marked a huge period of change for W.H. Lung. They lost a member in Tom Derbyshire, moved from Manchester to Todmorden, and fell in love with dance music and the shifting sense of inclusivity and community that comes with it.

This strange period of change results in a fine piece of artistry in Vanities that shows the true progression and regeneration of the band in the period of change. It’s full of fresh ideas, improved quality and packed with even more excitement than the debut. 

Full of melody, '80s inspired groove, and psychedelia, it’s a record that truly packs a punch. Opening track ‘Calm Down’ introduces W.H. Lung’s new and improved world with heavy synths and brooding lyrics reminiscent of new wave, thanks to the wonderful synth playing from Hannah Pierce and the great lyricism and breathtaking falsetto from vocalist Joe Evans.

The record’s standout track ‘Gd Tym’ contains an enchanting guitar riff from new axe-wielder Tom Sharkett. Combined with Joe’s shrill and piercing tone, it makes for an awe-inspiring listen that bleeds emotion and substance. Other standout ‘Showstopper’ later in the album has a possessing groove and melody that makes you want to dance the night away, but the thematic irony about waking up the morning after with the fear makes for a brilliant juxtaposition. 

Vanities is a great work of art that demonstrates the development and freshness the past two years have gifted W.H. Lung. Despite a few tracks being unnecessarily overlong, taking up space that could’ve been filled with the greater potential they hold, the majority are brilliant tracks that pay homage to the dancefloors we’ve all missed during the start of this troublesome decade. To ease these troubles, W.H. Lung have gifted us a record full of sonic bliss taken from a variety of era-bending influences that make something truly unique. 

Vanities is out now.

More about: WH Lung