They've been called "downer punk," "post-punk," "post-hardcore," and, as one member of scene-mates Iceage put it to the New York Times, "almost annoying they could be so good." There is definitely a lethargic vibe to their sound and a D.I.Y. ethic steering Lower's ship. Whether that qualifies them as "downer punk" is up to you.
Hailing from Copenhagen, this tour marks the four-piece's first time in the US. So far they have been on a tight schedule, playing nightly from Texas to Canada, receiving a brief respite little more than a week ago when their van broke down somewhere outside Gainesville, Florida.
Last I heard, the four were wandering around a mall in Atlanta trying to secure another ride before heading up the East Coast. I reached them by cell, and, even with bad reception, vocalist and lyricist Adrian Toubro sounded practically giddy at the prospect of the band's latest adventure.
I asked Toubro about the slogging pace of Lower's songs, and how that jibes with his own spirit of adventure - how could a guy who was almost kidnapped in Tanzania get so much mileage from lyrics about crushing boredom? "You've got to find a balance," he says. "You create energy in words if you create contrast in your writing."
Writing in English is his way of keeping subjects at arms length - of giving them a thoughtful distance. Toubro says he's "growing fond of the name" Lower, though at first it was not supposed to mean anything. "It's up to the listener to read something into the word." Sounds to me less like downer rock, more like a punk rock Pequod, its crew after something bigger than you or I know.
Whatever you want to call it, come out tonight and give it a listen: Lower will be performing tonight at the Tralf. 7 PM, all ages, $10 at the door.
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