By: Jon Behm
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| Alex Lowry - Photo by Jon Behm |
I sojourned over to the West Bank on Wednesday night to catch Aby Wolf at the Acadia, playing with whom I thought must be a new local band named after one of the Minneapolis Lowry Hill landmarks, like the tunnel or the liquor store. But no, Lowry is actually a band of Brooklynites that has been around nearly a decade. What was most surprising about this was not that most people at the bar hadn’t heard of them before, but the fact that they were really quite good.
Lowry (actually named after Alex Lowry, lead singer and songwriter) has been through several incarnations over the years, but is currently the five-piece group that came together to record their latest release “Love is Dead.” They were originally lumped into the broad spectrum of the Anti-Folk scene, but to describe their current sound as such would be to over generalize. Their songs are anchored by Lowry’s singing—he has a voice that sounds something like a combination of Wayne Coyne’s high-pitched pomp and Jose Gonzales’ earnest emoting. His tunes follow a pop structure, but one that is filled with interesting side roads and switchbacks, especially when they run alongside backup singer Heidi Sidelinker’s lovely alto. The result is a sound that though syrupy sweet, makes for a much more interesting listen than your standard issue folk-pop.
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| Aby Wolf - Photo by Jon Behm |
Making for some eclectic musical arrangements Lowry and Sidelinker also play the keyboard and banjo respectively (Lowry switches between keys and guitar), and are backed by an especially adept guitarist, bassist and drummer. The band was especially tight on Wednesday and guided us through gems like the freak-folky “Whiskey,” and a rocking rendition of “Roads” with confidence and a little bit of swagger. Though a few minor technical issues came up, overall it did little to affect the show’s quality.
Since the Acadia is often more of a haunt for local musicians trying to make a name for themselves, it was a little odd seeing such a highly polished and professional sounding band there. Before leaving they promised to return soon, and I fully expect them to move on to a bigger venue by then.
Aby Wolf, another artist who should also be playing much larger venues in the near future, headlined the show. Since I already gushed over her last show recently I won’t go into too many details here, except to say that if you haven’t heard her yet you really don’t know what you are missing. Hearing Wolf sing in the quiet confines of the Acadia really gave me a chance to experience the full range of her voice, and her ability to tackle complex vocal arrangements with apparent ease reminded me a great deal of the first time I saw Leslie Feist sing solo (The experience is akin to watching someone run a marathon without breaking a sweat). Also, before the show Wolf’s mother told me that as a baby, Aby was singing melodies before she even knew any words. As a baby I mostly screamed and pooped myself, which probably explains a lot about why I now write about music while Wolf actually performs it.
Lowry's Website
Lowry's Myspace
Aby Wolf's Myspace
Location Info:
Acadia Café
Artist Info: Aby Wolf, Lowry
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