Review: VLMV ‘There Will Come Soft Rains’
As is the case with a lot of my favourite music, I can pretty much pinpoint where I was when I first discovered an act. Recently, a lot of my new loves have been after seeing acts announced for the Portals Festivals, but there’s one artist in particular who I fell in love with after that first announcement in 2022 for the following Portals.
It was announced early on, and it was a name which was made up of four letters, V, L, M and V. For me, it was a name I didn’t recognise, but ever since it has been forever etched on my heart. At that time, the album Sing With Abandon had only recently been released, and even from the first listen, I was hooked.
Since then, I have followed VLMV with a real passion. I’ve seen the act live twice now, and having purchased pretty much every available item of recorded merchandise that’s out there, I have become somewhat of a ‘super fan’ I guess. So, when the latest album, There Will Come Soft Rains, came up for review, I made a point of jumping on it as quickly as I could. I always knew it was going to be great, and after hearing a couple of tracks in advance, the opportunity to cover the full experience was one I relished.
Now, if you aren’t aware of VLMV, then let me welcome you in, get you up to speed, and swiftly move on to the album itself.
The whole entity is the handiwork of one person, the absolutely wonderful artist that is Pete Lambrou. A solo performer who will occasionally enlist close working friends to accompany him on his flights of fancy to make the magic work. However, he is predominantly a one-man band who uses technology and an eloquent understanding of 21st century hardware to create sonic soundscapes that will leave you both breathless and tearful in their beauty.
There Will Come Soft Rains, which takes its title from a 1918 poem by Sara Teasdale, is built around the theme of that poem; we find VLMV pondering humanity’s role on the planet, our contributions and impact, and highlighting our actual relevance in the bigger picture. Covering fragility, understanding, and acceptance, it dares to offer a considered and eloquent rationale on the human condition. More of an introverted look inside, and less of an outward dismissal, it asks us to think about our own existence, and who we are in the scheme of things. It offers no answers, only that we stop and look at the world around us.
Understated, emotional, and incredible, this is, as always with VLMV, simply divine…
Opening with Tribal (A Heart Self Taught), we are led straight into VLMV’s trademark sonic utopia, a realm filled with delicately catastrophic outpourings which will leave you mesmerised in its wake. Starting pensively, the simple electronic hum is swiftly filled with Lambrou’s soft and yet sombre vocal. As the additional muted percussion enters, giving the piece a heartbeat, it feels like an evolution from previous material.
In 2026, VLMV seems to have embraced the concepts heard on various remixes and reimaginings of older tracks from previous albums and carried it over onto this new record. It does feel a little more electronic, but not at all in a bad way, quite the reverse in fact. It reminds me of how the likes of Trent Reznor and Gary Numan are heralded as innovators in their genres because they always followed their vision, and that legitimacy won through, and here too it can be seen.
On tracks such as We Are All Explorers Now and I Am An Officer, the evolution shines through; the melding of electronics, strings, and vocals work seamlessly together, it’s hard to understand where one element ends and the other begins. It’s also worth noting that there are far more vocals than on previous releases, and for me, this is a real bonus, as I’m a sucker for Lambrou‘s voice as it hits me deep inside. Elsewhere, The Pilot is a top-tier moment, and on Philistine! (Reclaim The Sky)it is earth-shattering. I feel like there has been a step forward in confidence vocally, and it’s tracks such as these where that really shows.
Obviously, it wouldn’t be a VLMV release without some quieter instrumental moments, and even on those, there seems to have been an evolution in eloquence. The ambience is mesmerising, and their placement at specific moments helps to keep the pace balanced. Over the course of the nine tracks, there’s never a lull in interest; it’s easy to lose yourself in it all before realising it’s finished. I strongly advise playing in ‘repeat all’ mode, as when the album tapers off at its climax, it easily restarts at track one without skipping a beat.
Understated, emotional, and incredible, this is, as always with VLMV, simply divine. My top tip for the year, There Will Come Soft Rains will change your outlook, effortlessly
Label: Pelagic Records
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Lee Beamish
