Album Review

Lowline – Monitors

• 10th Mar 2008

Robbie Rush (guitar/vocals/synth), Andy Hewitt (guitar/synth), Mike Hosker (bass) and Sam Clarke (percussion) are a modern day Doves/Mock Turtles/Stone Roses amalgamation heavily dosed with an injection of urgency and direction…ooh!
Need I say more?

I could namedrop the Verves Nick McCabe who also understandably does all he can to help these guys out. I could mention that an enamoured Owen Morris (who pleasingly stated that Mr McCabe was the most gifted guitarist he’d ever worked with) himself funded the recording session for these guys.

I just can’t wait to see a massive Glastonbury crowd losing it to these guys, just you wait! The lead vocal’s spat out with joyously familiar Manc’ attitude and resounds a certain Jason Pierce (Spiritualized). Killer chorus, kickass musicianship and memorable, acceptably repetitive lyrics trip the light fantastic as the lid’s ripped well and truly off this mutha! Oooh…listen to her!

The flipside drops in tone and scorches along a seedier path of sonic solidity that echoes Gabrielle’s Wish (a criminally lesser known band of similar persuasion) are also summoned amidst the life affirming, music celebrating, knee jerking and head rocking way. So to summarize, yes Lowline (previously Lowlife) have got it going on and should indeed be doing the do in a month or 2. Much excitement!!!

So much in fact that I’ve taken the time to add a review of a MySpace track not on the 7” release… ‘Sound of Music’ encompasses the searing Verve style guitars with the same Joy Division driven drums and perhaps more evidently here than ever before, an Ian Curtis-esque vocal to match. And whilst its dynamics are (only slightly) less epic than the tracks on the release, the sheer quality of musicianship throughout leaves you, like the rest of their music, gagging for more!