Lowly paid us a visit once before, back in November 2022, almost four years ago and I’m more than pleased to welcome back a quintet which last time out beguiled us with a song about “a loving and inclusive story about loving a person despite their less adventurous sides.”
This time they are in the process of releasing a series of singles in advance of an album, ‘Softy’, which will see the light of day on 30th October and ‘Stretch under strain’ is the third one.
The subject is on the surface a stranger one this time out.
‘Stretch under Strain’ they say describes those seconds before waking up, when you can choose between holding on to the numbness of sleep or opening your eyes and facing the reality of life but, if I’ve read it correctly, as a metaphor for how we preserve our emotional wellbeing generally when dealing with the pressures of modern life.
Tell me about it. My eyeballs are stuck to their lids most mornings as I contemplate the wasteland that lies before me until evening brings the blessed relief of writing a review about a fresh piece of music that has attached itself to me like a limpet.
And that’s precisely what ‘Stretch under Strain’ did. Just like that. Sometimes I have to listen to a song several times before it gets me in the feels. Not with this one, no sir.
It starts with a simple but ultra catchy three and four note piano melody that persists throughout and upon which vocalist Soffie Viemose builds a gorgeous ascending vocal to the ballad. I read somewhere that she is an academic researcher at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen and for what it’s worth I’d say someone there should write a thesis about how it is possible to deliver a song as masterfully as she does here.
In particular I love the way she sings the words “with intensity” just like that- with sudden and unexpected power and passion. I thought it might be an obscure example of onomatopoeia or cadence but apparently the correct phrase is ‘word painting’. Whatever it‘s called, she’s a Professor in it.
And then there’s the way the song subtly builds with synthesised electronic effects but they never usurp that lovely piano. It’s an object lesson in how to construct a song and one of the most impressive and pleasing I’ve heard so far this year.
There’s a video that goes with it but don’t ask me what that is about. Soffie cleans her teeth and then takes a shower with her clothes still on. Beats me. Answers on a postcard.
Lowly will release their fourth album, the10-track ‘Softy’, on October 30th via Bella Union.
They commence a month-long 13-date Danish tour in mid January. See social media pages for dates. No sign of any UK dates at this time.
Lowly are:
Nanna Schannong (vocals, guitar)
Soffie Viemose (vocals, samples)
Kasper Staub (keyboards, synthesiser)
Thomas Lund (bass/Moog)
Steffen Lundtoft (drums/percussion)
Find them on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lowlyband
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lowlyband/
Bandcamp: https://lowlyband.bandcamp.com/music
Photo: Marco Herup Mørck.
