Low Roar - 0

Vor sechs Jahren entschied sich Ryan Karazija für das eisige Reykjavik und gegen das sonnige Kalifornien. 2011 veröffentlichte er unter dem Namen Low Roar ein erstes, selbstbetiteltes Album, das nun endlich einen Nachfolger gefunden hat. Zusammen mit Logi Guðmundsson, Leifur Björnsson und Andrew Scheps sowie Mitgliedern von múm und amiina entstand "0", das über Pledge Music finanziert wurde.

Die 13 Titel von "0" laufen weit mehr als eine Stunde, überschreiten häufig die 5-Minuten-Marke und bieten ein breites Spektrum zwischen atmosphärisch-epischem Folkpop, verträumt-hypnotische Electronica und verhaltenem Post-Rock für Freunde von Sigur Rós bis Radiohead. Tolle und empfehlenswerte Platte!     

‘Breathe In’ opens the album nicely, the tender vocals breaking through the delicate arrangement like the sun permeating the dimness of early morning. As the acoustic guitar licks ride the gentle rumble of drums, airy harmonies float alongside bittersweet strings that set the tone for the majority of the LP.

The enchantingly personal ‘Easy Way Out’ benefits greatly from Karazija’s sentimental writing style. The confessional lyricism engages the listener whilst the tranquil production style is jolted awake by stirring rhythms halfway though. Equally rousing is ‘I’m leaving’ with its military style drumming and pulsing, hypnotic vibe.

‘In The Morning’ proves a delightful folk ditty before the throbbing electronic essence of ‘Phantom’ takes over. Not to be outdone is ‘Vampire On My Fridge,’ a track that starts off skeletal and cold before exploding in a dynamic display of percussion, synths and strings.

Building upon the serene atmosphere that captivated and romanced listeners on Low Roar‘s debut, 0 does not disappoint, it’s cinematic qualities intoxicating the listener and staying with them well after the last track has been played. Deeply frank, it’s a record that proves there is strength in fragility.
(Acid Stag)

0 is predominantly folk music, but you can still pick up Ryan’s indie roots in songs like “Easy Way Out” and “Nobody Loves Me Like You”. His emphasis on the atmospheric elements of the music give the album a cold and spacious quality to it, and it would be reasonable to assume that the harsh, barren landscapes of his new homeland, Iceland, didn’t play a factor when crafting songs like “Dreamer” and “Vampire On My Fridge”. We’ve pulled a coupe of the key tracks for you to listen to now so you can get acquainted, but anybody who already knows what this guy is about knows that to not listen to the whole thing would be to miss out big time. That being said, start off with “I’ll Keep Coming” and “Please Don’t Stop (Chapter 1)”. They’re on opposite ends of the 0 sound spectrum, but they’ll give you a good idea of where the rest of the project is headed, and you can rest assured that the rest of the tracklist fits somewhere in between these two, stylistically.

At times, 0 moves at a snail’s pace, and other times it soldiers on with a slow-burning energy that is painfully infectious, but every song contributes to the overall sound aesthetic of the album, and there really isn’t a weak spot in the lineup. You’re going to want to save 0 for those times when you just want to sit back and chill out for a bit by your self, since it’s almost built for relaxation, and there’s really nothing better out there right now if all you want to do is get lost in a world of beautiful music where the sounds implore you to close your eyes and let your immigration run wild.
(hillydilly)