The London Apartments “Put A Jacket On”

Windsor-based The London Apartments is essentially the work of one man, Justin Langlois, and the majority of his debut album Romanticism Aside lends itself to comparisons with bands from similarly chilly reaches. The fact that you can practically see Langlois’ breath when he sings brings Sigur Ros and Mum to mind, I can’t help but hear the Notwist in the omnipresent scratchy electronic ornamentation, and the album’s mix more than once channels Broken Social Scene’s half-awake methodology. “Put a Jacket On” is easily the most accessible track from the record–it’s the shortest (by a minute), and the song that most adheres to a traditional structure. It’s another single that perfectly expresses the sentiment of the album title; this is definitely not romantic music, but quite the opposite, actually. The sentiment sounds like it’s expressed as part of an extended yawn, and sounds more like practical advice as someone walks out the door in the morning than doe-eyed platitude through candlelight. The rest of the record’s post-shoegaze guitars and extended phrasings require a bit more time to pull apart , but it’s definitely well-worth it.