Friends And The Fakers
Self-Released, 2018
9/10
Listen to Friends And The Fakers
There’s been a whole lot of great music coming out the Twin Cities in recent years, and the supergroup LowRay is certainly at the top of that list. Spearheaded by Daniel Fowlds and James Irving, Jeff Victor (Honeydogs), Ian Allison (Eric Hutchinson), Jacques Wait (Twilight Hours) and Blair Krivanek (Sonny Knight and the Lakers) are also on hand to help flesh out the power pop, New Wave, country and R&B sounds of this striking debut album.
The title track starts the listen with a punchy rock’n’roll spirit as plenty of soul enters the highly melodic setting, and “Western Song” continues the fun with a shuffling country pace of Americana beauty.
Elsewhere, “8 Track Tapes” is full of summery pop playfulness, while “Palisade” offers a beat friendly shift into electro-influenced indie-rock that gets a bit ominous, too. “Lonely Tuesday Night”, one of the album’s best, then recruits gritty melodies in its lush delivery of soaring alt-country.
Near the end, “Sooner Or Later” benefits greatly from a snappy rhythm section in its energetic and easily embraceable formula and “There’s A Place” exits the listen with heartfelt singing and a warm quality that parallels the greatness achieved by The Jayhawks or Golden Smog.
An exceptional listen that’s as diverse as it is timeless, put LowRay on a list with Porcupine, The Persian Leaps and Bad Bad Hats as bands from Minnesota that deserve your attention right now.
Travels well with: The Persian Leaps- Electrical Living; Bob Mould- Sunshine Rock