Sorry for the delay. I got held up a lot this week. I'll get it right eventually. And hey, if things go well, you'll get to double down when I post a review tomorrow ... just like my favorite sandwich.
Because I am going to try to write two reviews whenever I can manage, I'll give you something familiar and something a little bit less "mainstream." This is one of the latter.
Lower Dens, based in Baltimore, is a dream rock quartet fronted by the deep-voiced Texan femme Jana Hunter. Hunter, a rising figure in new folk, adapted her talents to this electronic outfit specializing in ambient stylings. This sophomore album, Nootropics, provides a wide range of alternative rock elements as listeners seem to journey through this work like a well-lit mist. Although rather clouded, things seem strangely familiar — it's almost as if David Bowie's Goblin King dropped you off in the movie Labyrinth's namesake after you've seen it 40 times, just as one tends to do.
This seems like an apt analogy due to the fact that Hunter is a rabid musical admirer of the Thin White Duke. And while she says in Vulture she always tries to sound like the Starman, there are many other forces at work here. Hunter's sound definitely resembles the Bowie of the early '80s, but it's the band's stereophonic homages to that time period that conjure spirits more on the lines of Joy Division and Eurythmics.
The guitar-centric instrumental "Stem" shows a post-punk angst that launches right into "Propagation," in which the tempo slams on the brakes and the melody takes on a more goth-like tone. While the tracks on Nootropics can change rapidly, Hunter's clear, tenor voice resounds above the atmospheric noise. On "Candy," her crooning conveys a sense of listless with effortless professionalism. Hunter does not range too far out of the register, and that is just the way she intends it, working to put the right amount of trill on every note.
Nootropics's magnum opus, both parts of "Lion in Winter," begins with a long synth introduction that moves into a subdued new-wave ballad. As the song winds its way through, Hunter's backing band enters and exits the frame as soon as the listener knows they're there. Only a pleasantly catchy bass tone is constant. It's sheer vastness alone makes it a great listen.
The only problem with Lower Dens's new album wonderful drabness is the noticeable aversion to everything gaudy. If the listeners are waiting for Lower Dens to cut loose, then they have picked the wrong LP. Even so, there is a lot to love on Nootropics. Everything on this work is a meticulous rush at less than light speeds.
For Your Consideration: "Stem," "Propagation," "Lion in Winter Pt. 1," "Lion in Winter Pt. 2."
For Next Time: Neck of the Woods by Silversun Pickups.
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