LOW ISLAND Taking Us Higher
Playing a sold out show at Sebright Arms in Hackney on a Monday night says a lot about this four piece from Oxford.
In the depths of East London, we got a taste of experimental textures and delightful layers that all came together effortlessly.
We have only heard a couple of songs from these guys, but when they shared their hidden catalogue with us on Monday night, it only had all of us wanting more. Easily filling the time slot with the tracks that were all as dynamic as the next and displayed a range of skill and a truly eclectic aesthetic.
As End Piece started to come in, it embodied a Claptone like paced mashed with Jungle-esk layers, it was a vocal fusion delight. Between Jamie & Carlos combining their voices together, they managed to bring together the experimental looped and distorted vocals. You glide through on this wave of dreamy melodies, with the perfect amount of constraint and urgency. You can appreciate the thought and effort put into recreating it live, not an easy task to produce. Jamie building quite a sweat moving from vocals, keys and guitar.
The other taster that sounded familiar from these guys Anywhere, very pronounced song on its own right. As the beat dropped in and the drums bounced, the crowd couldn’t help but sway along. This song created an arresting sense of ambiance and the room was almost quite at one point. As the song gently came to an end the crowd awoke out of the haze that it created. With the feeling like they had been holding their breath in anticipation of letting out their own voices to cheer.
“All songs are new, but this one is super new. We learnt it yesterday and today.”
Just casually sharing freshly cut tracks with a constant thread throughout each song making the set feel fluid, like these guys were playing their 100th show. There were a few hiccups but they recovered without anyone’s harmonious state being disrupted.
Aerial and abundant guitars setting the tone that complimented the visceral lyrics and dreamy vocals. As the melodies where atmospheric they also carried an intensity that was mesmerising. You can tell they have a trust in each other on stage and it defiantly translates.
Wanting more from these guys? Well patience is key and we’ll have to remain that way until early in the new year with the release of an EP gracing out presence with more of this captivating fusion of sound. Hopefully they won’t keep us waiting too long, as we slowly roll into the summer this would be perfect pairing on any type of island.