RG Lowe – Slow Time
Western Vinyl
– out now
4.5 / 5

This Austin, Texan pianist/guitarist, who is the fountainhead for the instrumental group Balmorhea, decided to take a trip through the 70s and 80s. Citing Prince, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder, his previous ten years of work came through the vocal-less, introspective, quiet Balmorhea. Thus, one would assume RG Lowe would be entirely out of his element on a pop-rock album. But you know the saying about assumptions: turns out Slow Time, Lowe’s debut solo LP, is pure, unadulterated bliss.

Coming seemingly out of nowhere, Lowe’s nine tracks here are some of the least self-conscious, unpretentious songs we’ve ever heard. Each song just simply exists, no care for how the audience might react, the only concern being perhaps Lowe’s enjoyment of the material. And on tracks like “Cover You,” it’s strong material, dense, well- written, and the most fun we’ve had since Sondre Lerche’s “Private Caller.” (Gosh, that was 2011! Surely there was something as much pure fun in the meantime, right?) Our other highlights include “Building” and “State of Play,” but really, the whole album has been, so far, a week of joy. Perhaps the weakest part of the album as a whole is the slightly retro, somewhat plain album cover. But, heck, get over it, or you’ll miss on some of the most exciting pop-rock we’ve discovered in years.

They say “judge a book by its cover,” but really, “beauty is only skin deep.” The real test of an album comes months from release, and quite honestly, we’ve gotten a month’s plays out in a week. Congrats, Mr. Lowe, you’ve hit your target; highly recommended.

 

Catch “Spring the Lock,” also on Soundcloud; and check out his brief tour on Lowe’s site.

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