Sitting in my lonely room, the dead, cold winter panging at the window, I bask in the golden-orange haze being cast onto the floor, realizing,
yeah, it’s one of those days. Falling somewhere between relaxation and general indifference, I just can’t seem to pull myself from this dragging-my-ass daze that I’ve been in for the better part of the day. However, at least I’ve got LoOmis to keep me going, or rather, perhaps I’ve got LoOmis to blame, as their most recent effort,
A Solitary Attraction has been looping endlessly in my ears, furthering my listlessness.
You see, LoOmis’ third proper album, for all of it’s sanguine beats and flourishes, is inimitably
chill, ebbing and flowing ever so subtly between the contours of several genres. Though largely an electronica, shoe gaze-y effort, the album boasts a wealth of different styles and influences, including indie and experimental. It’s all mashed together rather coherently, and the tempo and dynamics are kept way down, giving the album a thick coat of schmaltzy, relaxation. It’s so lo-fi and low-key, that it kind of feels like it’s being reverberated through molasses, sounding warm and full. It exceptional as a whole, and thanks to the fine production, it’s all wrapped up exceedingly well into a cohesive package.
Yet, this package wouldn’t be complete without some truly amiable contents. The song selection here is really quite great, with plenty of variety and intrigue to keep things moving. “In Absentia” opens up rather quickly, laden with bass beats and Patrick Bailey’s silky vocals. Bailey’s vocals, though lacking a great amount of variation, fit wonderfully with the tone of the music. Sounding like an intensely laid back Anthony Green, Bailey croons and whispers throughout the album’s entirety, adding to the retrained nature of each track that he is featured in. Even though lacking the vocals of Mr. Bailey, completely instrumental tracks, such as “Xanax Box” still manage to be some of the strongest, most fleshed out tracks on the entire record. Not to be outdone, however, “Hackencrack” brings it in the rear, featuring a much quicker paced, math-rock tinged (although
math-rock should be taken with a grain of salt) track, and is easily one of the most endearing songs LoOmis has ever created. It features some pretty cool, loopy guitars, which are fleshed out fairly decently. It’s all closed out with the wonderful “Them (Modern) Bones,” the longest track. Moving deliberately, the songs marches to the album’s conclusion, ending with a flurry of distortion, feedback, and fuzz.
However, at ten songs in length, and a half hour run time,
A Solitary Attraction knows it’s limitations. Though there really is quite a bit of variety, the album lacks an incredible amount of depth. In the end, it’s sort of a “you get what you see” affair, with not a lot left to discover after the initial play through. That being said, LoOmis’ junior effort is nothing to scoff at. It’s blissfully self aware, nigh palpably chilled, making for an all around likable album. Perhaps I’ll get off my ass finally, or perhaps I’ll just let the subdued keyboard of “Sea Sideways” carry me away, just once more.
