Lem Lom (aka Jo Wagner) seems to like long gaps. A lone single in 2018 and an album in 2024 are his only previous releases. Well, now he’s back with a new single: ‘Soup’, and guess what? The song was written back in 2012!
‘Soup’ is based on an unearthed recording that was made during a fever dream when Jo was severely ill with the flu. I have to admit, this is the first time I’ve heard a song about how badly someone wants soup!
Glitchy atmospherics and whispered vocals drift in and out of focus like ghosts, and a slow guitar melody sets the scene. There’s a steady, relaxed pace, and it’s a smoky, dusty vibe where every element has its own unique personality. It’s sultry, warm, and pillow-soft.
The song is comfortably under 3 minutes, and Jo’s vocal takes a whole minute to appear – but when it does, it’s an exercise in restraint – packed with character and subtle expression. I loved the distinctive, robotic vocal harmonies too.
The track has a meditative, hypnotic quality – the main motifs repeat, and there isn’t the usual verse-chorus-verse-bridge structure, it’s all beautifully loose, and everything feels free. That spacious, minimalistic guitar part gave me Twin Peaks-theme flashbacks, and when the howling, screeching guitar solo appears, things get wonderfully spikey and abrasive.
“Wake from the dream with the swollen glands
Drink from the soup in the palm of my hand
The antidote has a side effect
Inflates your head and it shrinks your neck”
Lem Lom describes his music as organic bedroom pop, and I think this is the perfect description. ‘Soup’ delivers a warm, nourishing sound that is slow-simmered and full of rich, lived-in flavours.
Written by Grubby
