ATP! Album Review: Lowtalker – Marathon EP

The convergence of Misery Signals, Living With Lions and Comeback Kid may surprise some past listeners. Lowtalker has been promised to be a whole new sound than those Stu Ross (Misery Signals/ Living With Lions), Casey Hjelmberg and Matt Keil (Comeback Kid) have become known for in their previous offerings. These whispers of post-punk innovation have not gone unheard, and with good reason, because from the first burst of guitar it’s clear there’s passion behind every performer in Lowtalker.

"Marathon" is unashamedly post-punk, mixing raw hardcore punk firepower with a sense of melody and innovation that pushes the music beyond the confines set by a genre based largely on force and message. It allows for the gorgeously ornamental opening riff to ‘Prescriptions’, a Funeral For A Friend-esque melody that dances across the guitar neck and soothes the ears while still retaining the ‘oomph’ that earns post-punk the second half of the genre’s name.

The hardcore influences however, really shine through in ‘Barstow’, a much simpler ode to the more classic spinoffs of punk while retaining a melodic angst not unlike Alkaline Trio, and with the panned backing vocals bouncing off of each other in the way they do in this song, the comparison only seems more apt.

Even as developed as Lowtalker’s sound is however, they retain a raw quality that appeals to the underground pride of the punk scene. They have the same power and emotion of a band much further under the radar, a sound as fresh as one you’d expect from a group of friends just excited to play rock music with each other, and that feeling of excitement and freshness really shines through.

4/5

Edward Strickson

"Marathon" will be released on September 18th through No Sleep Records.