Lowry CD Review
Lowry
Awful Joy
(OddMob)
East Village troubador goes after Donovan-esque psych-folk, ends up with more Americana than he knows what to do with.
It’d really take a lot of concentration to end up sounding like Jim O’Rourke, J Mascis, *and* Pete Yorn, yet somehow Alexander Lowry makes it happen on Awful Joy. Whether it’s “Kensington Cowboy” and retro keyboard effects, the tipsy pugilism in “Imo Fight You,” or the misty “Bedford” forming the album’s core, he fills out his limitations well. Lowry’s voice frequently flattens and has no instant appeal, but that keeps his performance honest — by default — and twists some quirks into his reading of his lyrics. But sometimes the mark of a great artist is what they don’t do, and here he has trouble making editing choices. At nearly 64 minutes and only 13 tracks, Awful Joy feels like a marathon at times. Extended fadeouts (“What You Got,” “Fourth Of July”) might work during a live encore, but here they expose his wobbly voice. The filler bits don’t advance the cause, either, but at least it’s an accurate album title.
— Steve Forstneger
Appearing: February 8 at Schubas in Chicago.
Click here to download “Imo Fight You.”
