Little People

Landloper

BY Ashley HampsonPublished Jan 9, 2019

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A move to Portland in 2014, and the inspiration of the surrounding Pacific Northwest, was a bit of a catalyst for Laurent Clerc (aka Little People), opening up a six-week touring stint with Odesza and the release of a new EP, and allowing him to focus on creating new music, much of which ended up as the starting point for his latest LP Landloper.
 
Expanding beyond wholly instrumental works, the album settles in expressive downtempo, laden with guest vocals, most notably those of Reva Devito, a Portland musician whose vocals have been chopped, mixed and sprinkled across the entire album in various bursts and blasts. Add to that live string arrangements on half the tracks, and Landloper fills out tremendously.
 
Standout track "Skies Turn Blue" provides big energy after the glitchy, percussion-heavy instrumental opener "PDX," bringing with it a steady, scraping pulse, low-end breakdowns and lush orchestral sweeps that both highlight and complement the incredible vocals of Tif Lamson, co-creator of indie pop outfit GIVERS.
 
Little People has created a remarkable album that straddles the lines of downtempo and has a fierce grip on its understanding and exploration.
(Future Archive)

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