Lump

"The best side projects have the freedom of a casual fling, freed from the weight of interaction with a main-squeeze muse. Just so with this light, playful offering from Mike Lindsay, of eclectic psych-folkies Tunng, and Laura Marling: the pair met on the bowling lanes at a Neil Young aftershow, and Marling, lured by Lindsay's promises of "strange, wonky music", signed on to supply spontaneous, subconsciously strange words ... Lindsay's wonky music, meanwhile - he plays most of the instruments - benefits hugely from the strength of Marling's voice and persona. The only bum note is that there isn't more Lump to treasure - but then maybe Marling and Lindsay are smart enough to realise that pushing it further would break the spell".

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"On their first collaborative album, Laura Marling and Tunng's Mike Lindsay wrap prickly observations about lifestyle consumerism in bales of gorgeous melody and grumbling dissonance".

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"At root the record is about Marling weaving enticing, dolorous melodies around Lindsay's hypnotic trips, be they organic (the Afrobeat undertones of May I Be The Light', the Eastern chimes of 'Shake Your Shelter') or glitch-driven ('Hand Hold Hero', the sound of a Westworld saloon band malfunctioning). Only 'Curse Of The Contemporary', an impression of what Mamas & Papas records would've sounded like after taking all of 1968's LSD, strikes out into playful pop territory, and then only as far as PJ Harvey's 'The Hope Six Demolition Project' or Kate Bush's `Hounds Of Love' ... There might only be rare sightings of LUMP in future, but cherish them; you might not believe your ears".

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