Review Summary: Talking less, breathing more, gestating slo
Lo Moon's 2018 self-titled debut was a curious mixture of Talk Talk's middle and late career - splitting the difference between spacious dynamic meditations and tasteful pop songs. In truth, anyone listening to it could also easily have mistaken lead singer Matt Lowell for Mark Hollis' lost lovechild. It's taken four years for a follow-up that clocks in at a meager 36 minutes, and suddenly the cultivated intricacy of their first album makes sense. This is a band that wants to make music sound effortless through effort.
In the gap Lo Moon added touring drummer Sterling Laws as a permanent member. As is often the case with fledgling bands that grow into their live prowess, the more extensive gig schedule resulted in a desire to create an album which allows them to flex the band muscles. While how things sound still matters, Lo Moon are tighter than before, and lean fully into their pop influences.
Single 'Dream never dies' tests Lowell's range, and Laws is allowed to make his presence felt with a stiff but comfortable drum line. The song nods a little to their first album, shifting from a more conventional bubbling brook piano line to using chords at opportune moments to accentuate the bridge into the chorus that seems to almost transport you into a windswept grass plateau. One niggling concern (which is apparent from the opening statement, and is most on display in the closing one) throughout the album is that the lyrics are often cliché (or the 'easy' rhyme) to the point of distraction. While I do like considered lyrics, the approach here is forgivable because the wording does seem to be chosen to maximise the musicality and smoothness of the lines. In addition, I personally do prefer when bands that are not strong in this area don't overreach.
Another mitigating factor for the lyrical shortcoming is Lowell's precise, beautiful singing. When asked about how polished the vocals sound, he's quick to stress that it's not a pleasant or trouble-free process to get a take he's happy with. The process is worthwhile on this, as he's able to elevate the flat lyrics with considered inflection. Often a singer who strives for very listenable, mature pop vocal can lose expression but Lowell finds the wistful, tender space required for an album about transitioning to adulthood with your fingers in your ears. Lo Moon's version of dissatisfaction with modern life isn't a rebel yell, but when Lowell looks down he's aware he's anchoring himself against gravity on a rapidly tilting surface. At the conclusion of 'Expectations' he infuses the final mantra of "It's getting hard not blame of myself" with absolute relatability for anyone who wakes up and realises they've allowed their passion to escape the airtight Tupperware.
The title track was singled out in Lo Moon's interviews as the most difficult track to record - they struggled to find the final iteration, but also refused to give up on what was there. It's probably the most traditionally accessible soft rock song on the album (on an album that is eminently listenable), and perhaps they were looking for a way to spin it a little differently before accepting the natural shape of the track. They cleverly follow it up with most loosely structured cut on offer, the soundscape of 'Raincoats'. I swear it sounds like the logical, thrilling resolution of the issues I have with Coldplay's 'Clocks'. The band hinted that many other songs didn't make the final cut, and I can respect that - at no point on this do I feel the need to skip.
I was hoping for more of the atmospheric pressure shift of their debut, but once one accepts they're perhaps taking their cues from the breathier parts of A-ha this time around, then you can appreciate the excellence and craft here. They manage to integrate all the synth and electronic parts of this with total consideration - nothing feels like a element tacked on a soft rock base. They also succeed in their aim to bring all the players into the same fold. Hopefully the next album will have a shorter turnaround, but if they take a bit longer to get there in the style we're accustomed to, then I'll support the scenic route.
