York 6-piece LOWGROUND came together less than a year ago with the intention of being an antidote to the “same-ish distortion-heavy indie rock that has saturated the York music scene.”
What? Not the new Shed Seven then? Tsk.
Admitting that your music takes its cue from Zero 7 is unlikely to endear you to all music fans but as I like Zero 7 LOWGROUND can take solace in the fact that at least I’ll give them a chance. On their self-released debut EP they’ve certainly captured the warm fuzzy glow that Zero 7’s music imparts, particularly with the acoustic guitar and keyboards: the organ break on ‘I’m Home’ is a treat. Emi Jarvi’s vocals are more Folk – especially evident on last track ‘Modern Times’ - than the collective female talents Zero 7 employ but such variation on a theme is a welcome inclusion.
Playing Devil’s Advocate – me, not the Keanu Reeves film on DVD – I suppose LOWGROUND will be accused of producing music that is little more than attractive wallpaper for the ears: pretty but bland. Certainly no-one is going to work up a sweat when listening this easy is on the stereo and detractors will scoff at the notion that such sublimity offers more than background noise for the middle-class Dinner Party set: which is total stuff and nonsense of course. I’ve eaten dinner with guests and had The Pixies playing in the background. OK it was ‘Ana’ but it’s still The Pixies.
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The point is we all need a calming place to go – when eating good food with good friends after a hard week or otherwise occupied - and in the right time and place Zero 7 provide as welcome a soothing mental lozenge as music by John Martyn, Erik Satie or Miles Davis. Just because music goes into the ear with a sigh rather than a scream doesn’t mean it fails to provoke a response, it’s just that the response is a reflective one rather than a gut one geared towards getting shit-faced or dancing like a bastard.
So yes LOWGROUND are polar opposites of everything loud and raucous in music and they’re not as accomplished – yet – as Zero 7’s songwriters but they’re a welcome addition to my own notion of Easy Listening.
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