LOWLAND HUM
Native Air
Lowland Hum

www.lowlandhum.com
 

Based solely on visuals, it might be easy to dismiss Daniel Goans as another nu-folk bandwagoneer: he’s got the ironic mustache, the suspenders and workshirt, the acoustic guitar. And it’s true that Native Air, the debut from Lowland Hum, his new project with wife Lauren, blends several elements of recently popular acoustic acts: the male-female duets of the Civil Wars; the anthemic strains of the Mumfords; even the suite-like aspects of some Fleet Foxes songs.

But despite easy availability of analogues to several elements of Lowland Hum’s sound on this record, it’s clear that they are their own act. Native Air represents the first year of Daniel and Lauren’s marriage, and conveys successfully the range of emotions, love and longing and ecstasy and doubt, that come with the territory. Sequencing emphasizes this, with several quick transitions and pieces coming in around two minutes or less, just enough to get the feeling conveyed before moving on. As a result the band turns frequent earnestness and occasional light corn that have brought down bigger-budget projects into a strength, one of the album’s hidden charms.

While the single “War is Over” has gained a degree of attention from NPR tastemakers, the high point of the album is “Albatross,” a beautiful, almost six-minute duet. It features the album’s strongest harmony work, a disconcerting electronic effect at just the right point, and resolves into a foot-stomping, celebratory climax. Several of the longer pieces are almost as engaging, and the closer “How Long” gives it a good run for the money. Of the shorter pieces, the snapshot “Pocket Knife” is the strongest: Daniel’s first verse sets a low mood, so when Lauren’s voice comes in unexpectedly for the second verse, it’s beautiful and bittersweet enough to melt the most cynical hearts.

Lowland Hum promises to be more than just music. Lauren’s background is in the visual arts, and their press describes them as “multisensory.” They promise a tangibility to their shows complete with handmade lyric booklets, a traveling art show, and even an olfactory element to their shows. The music itself, however, is strong enough to stand on its own.

— Dan Greenwood