Having released several EPs already, some of which whilst they were still in high school, the young duo Lowertown have released their debut full-length album via Dirty Hit. The pair describe their music as offering “a blend [of] electronic and lo-fi instrumentation with meaningful lyricism and melancholy, narrative lyrics – indie with aspects of folk and electronica.” Whilst these descriptions are accurate to some extent, there is a reasonable amount of aggression on I Love To Lie that they don't acknowledge, akin to that one would expect from a garage rock band like Osees or early Cloud Nothings.
Opening track “My Friends” provides a good idea of what is to follow from the album’s harder songs. Olivia Osby and Avsha Weinberg strum their guitars frenetically whilst Osby sings about how she actually “detests” the so called 'friends' of the song’s title for their emotionally manipulative and bullying behaviour. The record proceeds to offer up a good balance of up-tempo, energetic indie rock songs such as “I’m Not,” “Scum,” and “At The End” with softly sung tracks dominated by gently played guitars and confessional sounding vocals such as “Antibiotics,” “It’s It’s It’s,” “Goon,” and “Waltz In Aflat Major.”
The real centrepiece of I Love To Lie is “Bucktooth,” on which Osby sings eloquently about her and Weinberg’s contempt for the gun enthusiasts that are ruining their homeland. “They’re extremists and I don’t like it / I just wanted to have a good time…I can’t handle any more / Can’t handle any more / Can’t handle any more guns,” she intones melodically, the song’s jangly, catchy delivery belying the seriousness and anger of its lyrical message.
This is not to say that I Love To Lie is all good, however. “No Way” is perhaps slightly longer than a jangly indie rock song needs to be at nearly five minutes and is a little too reminiscent of Vampire Weekend for my liking. As an acoustic instrumental, closing track “It’s Easy For Me” feels like a slightly tepid and underwhelming way to close the album, when an attention—grabbing song making a definitive statement like “Bucktooth” would have perhaps made the album’s final moments more memorable. But these are minor flaws.
Overall, I Love To Lie is an impressive debut album that augurs well for Lowertown’s future material.
