Single Review: Lina and the Lions - Physical Space

Just a month after releasing ‘This Fire’, Lina and the Lions have hit us with their latest single, ‘Physical Space’, from their upcoming album Second Nature. Here, nostalgic 80s synths are combined with an infectious beat to create a bouncing art-pop track.

Hailing from Sheffield, Lina and the Lion’s core members (Lina - singer, bassist, pianist, songwriter and Lee - multi-instrumentalist, producer) met in a pub as teenagers, and the story goes from there. Influenced by Cyndi Lauper, Michael Jackson and No Doubt, theirs is a sound that interweaves the styles of past generations into a revitalised neo-pop explosion.

The influence of the 1980s is strong in the world of music today, with artists like Dua Lipa, The Weeknd and The 1975 all incorporating features of the era into their recent works, and Lina and the Lions follow suit in a uniquely captivating way.

A more upbeat single to its predecessor, ‘Physical Space’ is an ear-worm that drips nostalgia, with the intoxicating video mirroring the 80s aesthetic. Lina is the essence of Gwen Stefani incarnate, her sweet and pure vocals never dominating the track but blending effortlessly into the noodling guitar chords and synths. The outro is a guitar riff that harkens back to simpler times of 90s grunge. In short, both the track and video are utterly addictive.

Whilst this past year in lockdown has been, for many of us, a strange and stunted period of relative misery, it has also been an unexpected opportunity. During a year when everything slowed to a stop, artists have had unlimited time and space to create and develop. In Lina and the Lion’s case, this led to the creation of Second Nature, and they will be releasing a track from the album every month during 2021 until its release.

‘Physical Space’ is a perfect example of the current music scene, which rummages through the past to create songs that feel at once futuristic and nostalgic. If this is what Lina and the Lions have got so far, we can’t wait to see what’s next.

Make sure you check back in with Only A Northern One on Thursday (11th February) for the premiere of the ‘Physical Space’ video.

Words: Megan FitzGerald