LowlakesIceberg Nerves
Kunsthaus

- The opening to Iceberg Nerves, the debut album by Melbournites, Lowlakes, is an evocative introduction to the work. Chilling synth trebles float over a growling bass. It’s an easy match for the recent soundtrack work by Mogwai for Les Revenants or Olafur Arnalds on Broadchurch; I’m already beginning to imagine there are bodies floating face down, somewhere in the lowlakes.

The mood it sets is foundational for the band, but they wait for the second track, Foundations, to usher their most exciting asset onstage. Tom Snowdon’s voice, usually heavily processed, would almost certainly be quite unusual anyway, without the strangely glissing and vocoded qualities. There’s a hint of Antony Hegarty but at least as much of someone like Nina Simone. Perhaps Tracey Thorn is a better comparison though, because Snowdon’s deep and syrupy croon joins with Lowlakes’ dark synthpop in a seamless combination that reminds me of some of the best bits of Everything But The Girl. Hell, I don’t even like EBTG that much, but Lowlakes is really something.

It definitely has something to do with the way they construct sadly, slow-dancing, edm pop standards with such a skillful maturity. In a market increasingly crowded by triphop revivals, a track like Foundations is one of the few that actually deserves to rub shoulders with the likes of Massive Attack.

The band reach further back into pop history borrowing moody goodness from new-wave moaners like Talk Talk, Boy George or Tears For Fears. The band keep them coming, with the reverb soaked new-wave of Newborn which is darkly infectious, and they break up the pace with slow piano crooners like Now She Said, or the largely instrumental synthgaze miasma of Fauna.

The album’s title track is, in some ways, a standout: its hooks are sensational, but Lowlakes are clearly very invested in the track, turning it into a proggy epic when it would probably have been more effective if they’d kept it on a tight leash. Providing a perfect counter-example is their single best track, Cold Company, a pop song that’s perfectly judged, with a slinky pacing and a piano adorned chorus that’s just heartbreaking.

Lowlakes have already come a long way from their home, in Alice Springs. On the strength of an album like this it is impossible to imagine they won’t be spending a long time away from there.

- Chris Cobcroft.

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