Lump at Rough Trade

28 August, 2021

LUMP are back for a second album. LUMP are Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay from Tunng. Apparently they met bowling. It seemed an odd paring and we probably all expected their 2018 self-title first album to be their last. It was clearly a nice diversion for Laura Marling allowing her to try something new, but with the release of Song For Our Daughter in 2020, I was expecting Laura to concentrate on touring that album when things opened up.

I haven’t seen Laura Marking for a good few years. She only plays larger venues and tickets often sellout quickly. So it’s a pleasure to LUMP play these small venues. It feels a privilege to see Laura up close

Tonight’s gig at Rough Trade was an in-store for Animal, released at the end of July. I have to admit, I had only streamed the album once. So I wasn’t as familiar with the album as many in the audience were. Luckily it was pretty much a set of two halves. The first half, new stuff, the second, tracks from their first album

I don’t have to tell you how great Laura’s voice is. It has a timeless quality, with a warmth that makes me feel like I’m wrapped in a warm blanket. You know each new Laura Marling album will be good. But you also know what you’ll be getting.

Her music with LUMP forces Laura to adapt her style slightly to fit in with odd musical timings and washes of guitar. But she never loses that warmth. She even seems far more relaxed with LUMP. It would be hard not to be with Mike jumping around the stage, throwing warm smiles at Laura and also occasionally trying to make them laugh by sustaining the feedback at end of a song. Although, Laura is the reason most of us are there. This clearly isn’t Laura’s band. Mike seems to enjoy directing the musical output and this seems to help her relax. As I watched, it seem to me both see LUMP as a release, allowing them to do things that might not be appropriate with their ‘day job’ and both want to enjoy the experience. Who knows, maybe we will see a third album and another opportunity to see Laura in a small venue? Based on tonight’s gig. I really hope that’s the case.

Set List