domingo, 9 de enero de 2011

Lowlife - Diminuendo





Style: Dream Pop.
Similar Artists: Perry Blake.
Recording year: Nightshift Muzic, 1987.



Coming off like a dark hybrid of the Cocteau Twins and Joy Division/New Order, the Scottish band Lowlife was formed in 1985 by ex-Cocteau Twins (Garlands era) bassist Will Heggie and vocalist Craig Lorentson.

Followed up the strong if slightly monolithic Permanent Sleep with a more varied release, Diminuendo. Continuing to explore a darkly dramatic but never overwrought vein of post-punk atmospherics, the quartet, unchanged in lineup from its earliest releases, built beautifully on the past to further justify their increasing reputation in the U.K. "A Sullen Sky," the striking opening song, showed that even with a subtle change in the arrangements -- a touch more clarity on Craig Lauritson's echoed vocals, the hint of swooping drone keyboards in the background, a little more space overall -- the end results had that much more impact.

With that as a calling card the quartet tackled the rest of the nine songs with gusto, with experiments including acoustic guitar ("Big Uncle Ugliness") and an almost Smiths-like peppier jangle (at least initially!) on "Wonders Will Never Cease." The essential blend of the band remains strong, though, and on songs like "Off Pale Yellow," with its beautiful cascading verses, and the concluding demi-ballad "Given to Dreaming" the evidence is perfectly clear.

Each of the individual members further stretches their own talents along the way -- Grant McDowell's drumming shows more variety throughout, for instance, while Lauritson adds quick, higher pitched flourishes here and there that lighten the stormclouds in a striking fashion. The secret winner of the album might be "Licking One's Wounds," with each of the bandmembers trying for a little something different yet still sounding exactly like themselves as a whole.
















Fields Of Haze... Underground for all.

2 comentarios:

  1. En el País de los Chiflados, donde yo (sobre)vivo,
    ahora quieren poner puertas económicas a la libre circulación de material con (c) para que los más ricos puedan seguir enriqueciéndose en detrimento de los más pobres

    España es el país de la vergüenza y vuelta a la censura, eso sí, esta vez han sido más listos y solo idiotizan a los que no pueden pagar y encima los creadores solo se llevan migajas...Mierda de país...

    Gracias por descubrirme a este grupo, Rooster

    Saludos!

    ResponderEliminar
  2. a Lowlife documentary, produced by David Bruggink and guitarist Stuart Everest, is in the works...check out the facebook page and the trailer... Cheers! David

    The film's facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/eternityroadfilm
    The film's teaser trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nysW3Orn2Ic

    ResponderEliminar

Related Posts with Thumbnails