Danish artist Lalu – aka Laurits Wang – is a fresh new face on the scene. In fact, he has just released his debut single – and it’s remarkable in more ways than one.
Lalu wrote “mine hænder” (“my hands”) after losing his mother to cancer. The song explores having to suddenly step into adulthood into a life you don’t quite feel ready for.
This is a first taste of Lalu’s debut album Leo, which is being released on vinyl with 100% of the profits donated to the Danish Cancer Society (Kræftens Bekæmpelse). More than 25,000 DKK (about £3,000) has already been raised.
All that aside, “mine hænder” is a staggeringly mature debut: heartfelt, achingly beautiful, and one of my top tracks of the year.
The whole song is just vocals and acoustic guitar, but it feels so full and rich. When a song has an arrangement this simple, the melody and performances are under the microscope. Luckily for us, every note earns its place and the smallest details become its greatest strength.
Lalu has a tender vocal tone, and delivers exquisite harmonies, delicately layered to produce a warm, honey-dripped sound.
I loved the restrained expressiveness. It feels close and intimate, but never small – the song brought a tear to my eye even before I knew the background to the song or had translated the lyrics.
“Falling in love with the feeling
Then it bursts
Seeing it change into sand
I crush it with my hands”
This is the sort of song that feels inevitable, like it’s always been there. It’s a wonderful tribute to Lalu’s mum and deserves to be heard. I’ve already added it to my playlist – I urge you to do the same! Don’t forget, you can buy Lalu’s debut album right now – just click the Instagram link below and send him a DM. Take a listen to “mine hænder” below as well.
Written by Grubby
