Oxford four-piece Low Island have an incredibly clean sound for a group who records in a garage. The band dropped their sublime debut EP, Just About Somewhere, earlier this year and quickly caught the attention of some of the U.K.’s favorite independent publications. The EP is brief yet still cinematic, pulling inspiration from the likes of Radiohead, Glass Animals and Alt-J. These four songs are able to tell a story of universally experienced doubts through beautiful and ambient instrumentals. Low Island have curated a collection of contradictions — both dreamy and desolate, intimate and intense, bold and basic.
Just About Somewhere opens with the rhythm-centric “Anywhere,” a song that travels smoothly through highs and lows. The silky, subtle vocals are hypnotizing in their softness. Listen to this song while laying on the floor in dark room and it’ll transport you to another universe -- namely, a universe in which everything is surrounded by water and illuminated solely by the flickering shimmer of the fluorescent lights beneath the waves of a swimming pool.
“End Piece” is a particularly impressive track, following the chilled-out “Anywhere” with an unexpected shift in tempo. Though it’s a bit more upbeat, the song still relates a narrative of loss and loneliness. Distorting the vocals to the point where they sound backwards, Low Island mimic a tactic commonly used by breakout star Amber Bain of The Japanese House. It’s a comparison that grows stronger as the song continues, but not one that delegitimizes the artistry of the Oxford rookies.
On “Recent” and “Disconnect,” the band’s experimental style takes on an approach similar to that of longtime alternative icon, Thom Yorke. The rapid percussion of the latter track instantly brings to mind the image of Yorke’s frantic and mesmerizing dancing (as seen in “Lotus Flower”).
Low Island have an ear for rich textures, but are able to construct them with elegant simplicity. Just About Somewhere is the perfect soundtrack for your late night drives to nowhere.