Review Summary: Don’t wait, listen today!
Throughout Low Roar’s decade-plus of musical existence, comparisons have been constantly drawn to Radiohead and Sigur Ros. Don’t take it from me, no less of an authority than the man formerly known as “SowingSeason” drew exactly those associations way back in 2014. These references aren’t just due to Low Roar architect Ryan Karazija’s vocal resemblance to Thom Yorke and residency in Iceland, beyond that his music maintains a lushness and atmospheric feeling which echoes the artistry of both of those much bigger names. Throughout a growing discography, Karazija has excelled at maintaining his trademark alchemical synthesis of indie folk, post-rock, and dream pop while constantly sliding the sonic focus in one direction or another with every release. With this, one can categorize the folkiness of the self-titled debut, the post-rock leanings of
0 , the electronic trends of
Once In A Long, Long While… , and the more accessible edge of
ross. , into a certain formula. For Low Roar’s latest, Karazija has remained true to form and again modestly adapted these stylings without losing the essence of his distinctive corner of the musical landscape. In this case, the name of the game is dreamy, piano-driven, ambient pop songs, often stretching to considerable lengths. With
maybe tomorrow… , the chorus of Radiohead similarities will be louder than ever, with
A Moon Shaped Pool likely to be widely cited, even if this album is a far more overtly lush and hazed-out work.
Even as Low Roar is shifting styles ever so slightly once again,
maybe tomorrow… does feel somewhat like a continuation of the beautiful vibes of its 2019 predecessor
ross. Evoking the aquatic, majestic beauty of the album artwork, the music here frequently seems to be attempting to submerge the listener in an overwhelming level of shimmering gorgeousness. The darker underbelly of all this brightness is the lyrical content, which seems obsessed primarily with aging, loss, and death.
While all eleven tracks on
maybe tomorrow… are lovely, there are a few clear highlights. There’s the nearly nine-minute epic “***ed Up”, which functions as a somber piano ballad featuring such ruminations as “it’s getting cold and America’s dying” before sliding into electronics in one of the album’s more experimental moments. The stunningly beautiful “Hummingbird” also stands out, with lyrics which are cryptic but hint at several dark interpretations. Meanwhile, the penultimate track “Bye Bye” is lush and deeply emotive, while also feeling like the true closer before the album is sent off with the chimes and such of its instrumental finale.
maybe tomorrow… stands a bit apart, like every Low Roar LP, but it’s ultimately an album which is unlikely to change one’s view of the artist. If you’ve enjoyed previous Low Roar releases, then this is absolutely worth diving right in. If earlier albums haven’t struck your fancy, this one probably won't do the trick either. The main gripe to be noted regarding
maybe tomorrow… would be that the release is a bit overlong, given the record’s pretty one note nature. Nonetheless, that one note is exceptionally good. This is an album chock-full of lush, colorful beauty, and beyond that, if you care to listen, the lyrics have a lot to say.
