Track Review: Breaking Out // The Lowtones
Influenced by the likes of Joy Division, The Smiths, Interpol, The Cure and Bloc Party, UK-based foursome The Lowtones are adding a modern edge to old-school indie-rock and post-punk. A relatively new band forming in early-2020, The Lowtones have not released too many singles and are still gaining a following; however, these lads are already making waves on the UK indie scene. Featured on Indie Central Music, The Other Side Reviews, Sinusoidal Music, Rising Artists Blog, Less Than 1000 Followers and various playlists, The Lowtones is building a reputation for energetic, honest and intriguing music. The latest addition to their critically acclaimed repertoire is ‘Breaking Out’.
Produced with Gavin Bowers at Catch 21 Records, ‘Breaking Out’ brings the sound of 80s post-punk to contemporary audiences. Laden with dynamic guitars and pounding drums, The Lowtones will have you playing air guitar in front of your mirror; however, the modernistic element is added with Oliver Mavilio’s raspy grunge vocals. It reminds me of something between Radiohead and, well, something a lot harder. What I love is how the tune incorporates a dark, depth in its melody but twinkling synths interspersed throughout to add some haunting liveliness.
While the track has a murkiness to its dark sound, it is the poetic lyrics that truly connect with listeners. Penned during the Covid-19 pandemic, the track is intimate and engages with individuals living through an uncertain reality. The Lowtones share that “there is a lot of anxiety and uncertainty out there at the moment and we have sought to capture that in our sound. There isn’t any sort of specific context or set way it should be listened to but there are a lot of themes in the lyrics.” The first release of several tracks in preparation for their upcoming EP, ‘Breaking Out’ has both a punchy sound but with an intense intimacy.