Photo Source: Low Hums
Low Hums are set to play The Crocodile on Wednesday, October 3. They and Master Musicians of Bukkake will perform sets leading up to Six Organs of Admittance.
Their most recent album Low Hums pitched its official release in February of this year. Before even diving into the music itself, a run down of the song titles conjures a number of recurring motifs which crop up in the material: nature, experience, revelation, and exploration, to name but a few.
"Hands First Flower" is an excellent jumping off point to illustrate the band’s cross-pollination of styles. Mantra-like, its wavering hypnosis is anchored by deep rhythms that lull you inward. Psychedelic strums warble in and out of the portrait on occasion, but this is no ode to space rock’s sheer expansiveness. It is a form of earthen drone-folk that does not fear volume.
As "Morning Spirit" peels its translucent layers away, its core reveals a fondness for storytelling. The energy of the song unwinds at its own pace, crawling out of the collective that summons it. Other vital tracks include "Lightning Pass My Way" and "Down The Deep River."
They navigate freely between the characteristics of folk, drone, psychedelia, and post-rock music, subverting the lazy limitations listeners like to throw around. Appreciation for the Low Hums dawns on a listener like the gradual shift of a horizon that continually unveils its shimmering light.
The show on the 3rd of October is All-Ages for $12 a ticket. Doors are at 8pm. Give "Hands First Flower" a listen below and check out their bandcamp to stream the whole LP. Digital copies are available for $6.
– Cameron LaFlam