Using crops for fuel means snatching land from other uses, such as growing food for a swelling population. Direct air capture is still prohibitively expensive and energy intensive. How to act in different social contexts, and to acclimatize oneself into a given situation without losing face." With that in mind, the occasional sense of compositional confusion makes sense: even if it doesn't always result in a thrilling listen, Seek Warmer Climes captures a promising band in transition.None of these options can be easily scaled up. Toubro has said that "every song on deals in some way with personal development, be it emotional or cosmetic. That group's 2011 debut New Brigade still feels like the perfect encapsulation of the scene's overall aesthetic, and Lower strike me as the other Danish group from that scene who have it in them to reach those heights. It may not be fair, but it feels necessary regardless to acknowledge that fellow Danish punks, and associates, Iceage have cast a large shadow that all young Danish punk bands are measured against. When he repeats "caress yourself" a few dozen times toward the end, you want him to keep going with that brief, very effective phrase. It's patient, open, and the build feels earned. "Expanding Horizons" opens with him singing, "Here I stand/ On foreign land/ Expanding horizons/ Though nothing seems to match my fantasies/ I'm living a dream", and the song itself offers the spaciousness of travel. He left, moved around Africa, was almost kidnapped in Dar Es Salaam, and so on. The 7-minute "Expanding Horizons (Dar es Salaam)" is about Toubro traveling to Tanzani in 2009 to work at an orphanage and finding that the religiousness of the place conflicted with his own change-the-world idealism. That said, even in Seek Warmer Climes' less impactful tracks, there are glimmering moments, and it's a testement to Lower that it's hard to discount any of the songs in their entirety.īefitting such a curious band, the best song on Seek Warmer Climes is the longest, and the one that features accompaniment by two cellos. "Unkempt, Uncaring" echoes its title in its loose construction and doesn't leave much of impression elsewhere, the grand cacophony of "Bastard Tactics" and "Craver" don't amount to much more than that clatter. "Lost Weight, Perfect Skin" possesses a plastic surgery metaphor that comes across as ponderous, but it possesses enough fire to match the sarcastic, cutting sentiments within: "Lost weight, perfect skin/ Will bring the torment to an end/ Put the smile back on my lips." The album's first single, "Soft Option", is another good example of Lower in the zone, bringing in Morrissey-like background vocals with serrated guitars.Įlsewhere, Seek can drag in a way that this kind of music shouldn't. The central motif and narrative of opener "Another Life" ("Strive for another life/ Open your arms/ Invite it inside/ I'll show you what it takes to stay balanced"), along with Toubro's upbeat clip, makes for a potent salvo that energy continues onto the second track, "Dart Persuasion", which pairs rabid drumming with another nice central repetition that would fit well in a manifesto: "For all the tragic scars of your past/ You pointed out/ With an eye pinned to your navel/ Should I be shocked to the core/ By your rigmarole/ Your snivelling narration." Lower aren't making pop songs, but the best songs here have hooks. His delivery smacks of the type of vocalists that gravitate towards new wave and death rock (and he somewhat resembles Bryan Ferry at times, too). He possesses a writerly approach-the vocal lines often ramble and collide with the music as if he wants to cram in as many syllables as possible regardless of what the rest of the band is doing. He croons, and sighs, and doesn't shout as often. The thing you'll notice first on Seek is the growth in Toubro's approach.
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