Review Summary: Two lovers.... lonely dancing
Recently within music, it seems there's a trend to recall back to the golden shimmers of the 80's. Whether it's through modern radio pop or an up and coming blackgaze act, the yearning for creating a perfect representation of that past aesthetic has become more of a goal in modern music. Markus Siegenhort of LowCityRain is one of the few who has created such a sound seemingly out of thin air. With straightforward music, a nearly ineffable atmosphere of swirling guitar and upbeat drums, this makes for a wonderfully dreamy trip back to days of the east end boys and west end girls.
This release came out the vistas of nothingness. It just appeared. But as one delves into the opening notes of “You Are Everyone, You Are Everywhere”, the echoing drums beat enters with ethereal riffage that traps you in the lonely ballroom of the underground city. The guitars bounce off each other midst the repetitive percussion. A breathe is lost momentarily as it’s realized that this is the same frontman for Lantlos; this seems to be Siegenhort in his prime medium. We are then greeted by the mysterious world of “Grey View”, upbeat and stylized as ever. On “Numb”, the atmospheric potential of this band reaches heights met by others such as Have a Nice Life and Alcest. The tracks are not as pop as one would expect; new verses and riffs enter on a whim, sometimes completely altering the atmosphere of the song. The culmination of these complementary elements takes this album above and beyond, exceeding in all aspects of post-punk.
Generally speaking, the lyrics on this album are damn cool. While vague in places, they hint at psychological struggles and intuitive yearnings. They are brought to our ears in a very poetic way, seemingly being transmitted from the decade that made us. When Markus sings, “Two lovers, lonely dancing, lonely dancing”, a tragic waltz across the starlit streets is undergone against the listener’s will. His vocals are sincere yet free of care. The modern fusion of gothic rock and new wave atmospherics here are so perfectly executed that they avoid the tendency becoming a generic emulation.
LowCityRain is here, and they don’t show any sign of departure in the near future. They've crafted a debut that cements them as worthy inheritors to the retro sounds of new wave. Not only have they successfully recreated the atmospheric aesthetics of the 1980’s, but they've equally injected a futuristic undertone that takes the music above its intended purpose. LowCityRain succeeds on all levels, and should be observed by those who like upbeat and atmospheric music.
