Band: Lowtalker
Release: The Marathon (EP)
Release Date: Out Now
When you find out that Lowtalker are made up of some of the former members of bands such as Misery Signals, Living With Lions and Comeback Kid, it is all too easy to judge the book by its proverbial cover and envision exactly how this band are going to sound. However, if you are anything like us, ‘The Marathon’ – the second release from said band – will leave you wishing you’d paid more attention to that sound advice and wanting to eat your words.
Considering the kinds of bands that the members of Lowtalker are more commonly associated with, we were initially expecting something that packed a little more of a punch. This is by no means a slating of the band or the EP at all, in fact it is quite refreshing to hear a release that seems to infuse the usual gruff vocals that we are familiar with from this particular group of gentlemen, with a backing track that almost borders on a more laid back, indie/rock feel.
Opening up with ‘Tensions’ the post-punk riffs are out in abundance. This is a perfect way to begin and neatly sets the tone and style for the rest of the EP to follow suit. Although it would be fair to say, this is one of the heavier and offerings from Lowtalker as well as stylistically being perhaps the neatest in terms of its production value.
The true highlight for HTF with regards to this little release has to be ‘Like Minnows’ – the vocals are brought to the foreground leaving the audience to really concentrate on the lyrics at hand, which are full to the brim with teenage angst.
Closely nipping at its heals as contender for favourite track is ‘Prescriptions’. Similarly to all the tracks from this EP (you can’t say this band aren’t consistent) it is the vocals and painfully honest lyricism that really stands out. Though, what really sets this apart from the rest of the tracks is its use of a mini break within the lineal structure which stops the listener getting too complacent and comfortable with the tracks.
Every track has its own little place on ‘The Marathon’ and although the second half does lean towards a tad on the repetitive side, each song has enough style and depth in terms of content to hold its own and make sure that it doesn’t become overly samey for the audience. It is clear that these guys have drawn on the influences of their previous offerings to create something in Lowtalker that is easily recognisable but is also not a carbon copy of their earlier work. It may be that this will not reach the heights that the likes of Misery Signals and Comeback Kid achieved and will only ever be a little side-project, but hey, whats wrong with that?
7/10
Reviewer: Amy Jones
