Bands to look out for #16

WALL

"Am I allowed to love you yet?" implores Lyla Foy, the swoon-worthy songstress behind Wall, a dreamy, minimalist pop band who are well on their way to capturing hearts everywhere. Amidst soft percussion and plaintive melody, Foy's vocals evoke a very real sense of vulnerability, and her masterfully vague lyrics seem to suspend reality itself, drawing the listener closer to her fantasy world; teasing, perhaps, with the promise of a withheld secret.

And Foy is almost as mysterious as her music: all that anyone seems to know about her are the basics. A London-based producer-slash-singer-song-writer, she wrote and produced her 7", titled Magazine entirely by herself. She plays all the instruments too, though when playing shows she entrusts this to members Oli Deakin and Dan Bell. And that's pretty much all there is to know about her at the moment, excepting the odd, sparse interview here and there.

That's not to say that she's completely invisible though. As the first artist to be signed to the newly-formed BCS Records, they already have two videos of her performing in their well-known back cab. As well as this, the official video for their single, Magazine, perfectly expresses Wall's close-up, super-intimate style.

With a Tumblr-friendly colour palette and a cast of kooky actors, the video creates a fragile, childlike atmosphere which perfectly complements Foy's tenderly uncertain lyrics. Soft visuals and precisely ordered props provide a further sense of immersion into a delicate world, and the ending shot - a furtive, eager peek into an unlimited night sky - is indicative of the beginning of Wall's own career.

What will Wall do next? Will wider recognition drown out their soft, earnest voice? Because at this point it seems undoubted that they can remain in obscurity for much longer, with their obvious talent and charming sound. If you like Youth Lagoon or The xx, Wall are definitely a band to look out for, and I for one am looking forward to watching them quietly dominate music discussion in months to come.

Ruthie Kennedy