Artist: Lower Dens
Title: Nootropics
Label: Gnomonsong
Rating: 7.4

The vision of this band rules. From the album-opening “Alphabet Song”, it’s obvious that Lower Dens seek to be triumphant. There are not enough triumphant bands around. Bands full of this many good ideas are hard to come going class No but in all seriousness, this doesn’t suck. I’ve listened to lead single “Brains” a dozen times since receiving this album.important song reminds us of the time we needed it to get through a broken heart; a guitar riff brings back a memory of feelings. Cool trick. I’ve got no associations with these songs. I’m listening to them on a laptop with shitty little earbuds. Maybe it’s the synth parts. They’re just so… sharp. They cut the songs apart like diamonds, and the bass punches along with drums that can only be described as thunderous. After all that, though, this vibe of Lower Dens is still “chill”. They’re tip-toeing a very delicate line between rock band and electro outfit.Very few artists pull it off successfully.

It makes me ready for the summer. “Propogation” is a heavy, creepy track that I hear on my headphones making the long walk home from the Astoria after another night of not getting laid. It makes me feel better. Not sure how you could read that as a bad thing.

Final admission, though: a few more bold / risky moments would have pushed the album over the edge for me.It’s safe. Not that I don’t have room in my listening library for safe. Safe can still be fun. Safe gets me home.

By Will Anderson