Pop music is getting darker. It seems more artists, both new and established, are deconstructing the notion that pop needs to be bright and uplifting, and introducing some dismalness into the mix. Such may be said for Lower Dens, who just announced their third album, titled, Escape From Evil, out March 31 on Ribbon Music. The Baltimore band has always painted their dreamscapes in gloomy hues, striking dystopic gold for a cult following with Nootropics and Twin-Hand Movement, but as pop gets moodier, Lower Dens is sounding almost like pop.
The first single, “To Die in LA”, is a glimpse into what the record promises: assertive but heart-wrenching, emotional and embodied. Shimmering synth plays an alternating arpeggio theme over nod-driving drum and bass rhythms, while Jana Hunter’s laments power through everything. Twangy guitar offsets the atmospheric comfort set by the rest of the instruments, pulling on heartstrings. It’s a beautiful song, both instrumentally and vocally, showing the growing versatility of Hunter as a songwriter and storyteller.
Tracklist:
1. Sucker’s Shangri-La
2. Ondine
3. To Die in L.A.
4. Quo Vadis
5. Your Heart Still Beating
6. Electric Current
7. I Am The Earth
8. Non Grata
9. Company
10. Société Anonyme
