John Gamble (guitar), David Grow (bass), Jeremy Harvey (vocals/guitar) and Eric Murphy (drums) are Low Vault. The band formed in 2018 and quickly got the ball rolling and released Hoping, Not Hopeful.
The songs meld alternative and indie aesthetics with a hint of emo and pop punk. There is also this coming of age thing happening here which feels like it's intended for a younger audience (when I say younger I mean 20’s). It’s not on the nose like I just graduated college and I will miss my more youthful days but it seems to scratch at these topics with more poetic language. The pop punk inflection in the vocals also made me feel this way. They open with “Required Contrast.” I liked the groove they begin the song with especially those guitar fills. The lyrics hint at things like depression, free will and even the chaos of life itself. Lines like, “Will we be stuck between / The autumn hum or the summer heat / Or will we give up / Or otherwise self destruct” stick with you. The chorus is anthemic with vocal harmonies and had a good amount of pop punk on it. “Death & Chardonnay” seems to be more about death than chardonnay. The lyrics conjure up images of being at someone’s wake. Musically, the song is pretty diverse. There are more introspective moments but also times where the song rocks out. “Routine Card Game” was the highlight in my opinion. The vibe is a little more indie rock and early Modest Mouse came to mind. I thought the riffs on this song were wicked. The guitar work was inventive and weaved a web of patterns on the verse. They end with with a grand outro questioning free will itself. It’s a valid question the likes of Sam Harris, Sean Carroll and many other public intellectuals debate about. This short EP shows a band that have found their chemistry fast. That’s a good sign. They are a young band and I wish them luck as they evolve. I’m looking forward to hearing more and where they go from here.
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