Ends of June - Press reviews
"I know, I know. But you’re going to have to get past it, because Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love have a lot more going on than their overly precious name would have you believe. The fragile bedroom pop on the band’s second album is relaxed, compelling, and down-to-earth—no freak in this folk. Lead singer Kelly Dyson’s voice has been compared to Elliott Smith’s, and while it does have a similar breakable vibe, at times he sounds closer to a very mellow Isaac Brook. Banjos, neatly plucked guitars, and soothing vocals give the feeling that Ends of June was conceived on a screened-in porch and birthed in the comfort of a good friend’s kitchen. By the time the end of the album creeps up on you, you’ll be ready to hit “play” once more and let Low Low rock you all the way to sleep." - PopMatters
"Although they sport possibly the longest, most pretentious name in a genre full of it, Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love does wonderful things on its debut, Ends of June. Sporting the unlikely combination of Brits playing very American-sounding folk music-armed with banjos - Low La Love uses paradox to its advantage. Ends of June is dew-on-the-grass, rainy-afternoon, ocean-sunset fare that goes down smooth-with the occasional reminder that not all dreams are fairy tales.
"The Way You Play" opens the album with solid movement, and lays the blueprint for the rest of the album. If "Mayfly" won't get you relaxed, then you may as well go take a sedative, because nothing else will. The song strolls by on finger-picked acoustic guitars as singer Kelly Dyson sings, "Sometimes it's just a slow life." Nothing particularly profound here, but it's refreshing to hear.
The band's preoccupation with the pace of life continues on "Iron in the Soul," a well-written tune that flows behind the push of a lower-pitched vocals than normal. "Black Black Window" has the same let's-not-get-in-a-rush feel to it, adding accordion to the melange of instruments already displayed. "Believer" creeps along under the clouds as Dyson sings, "What time is the right time/ To waste time/ And under the right light?/ Why didn't you/ Tell me your real name?" Listen closely and you'll catch some well-placed (though unexpected) blues-style soloing, right next to the harmonica.
The band's songwriting prowess (which is frequently collaborative, as each member of the band is described as 'doing a little of everything') is nowhere more evident than on the acoustic track, "Goodnight Louisa" one of the highlights of the middle of the record.
"Happiness At the End of the Day" sounds a bit Sufjanish, but is a thing of beauty all its own. Drummer Ellis Dyson provides a texture to this album rarely found in the genre, rolling the songs along with grace and ease that never overpowers yet never feels unnecessary. This feel is not just a staple of the drumming, however. The whole band seems to know just how much of this to add, just where that should come in, just where that should fade out. Each listen literally reveals something new, whether it's the uncommonly well-written lyrics (don't let the simplicity fool you) or a guitar track that you might not hear individually until you've listened to the song five times or more.
Despite the overly long name, Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love has a lot to offer on Ends of June. Musicians would do well to lend their ear, as would anyone who likes relaxing, beautiful indie folk in the vein of Sufjan Stevens minus the concept themes and bombast."
- Stereo Subversion"A mix of indie-pop and country-folk, Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love are a British band with a distinctly American sound. Distributed through Darla Records, Ends of June is their second release.
Mixing Americana banjos and acoustic guitars with shimmery orch-pop flourishes and lush harmony vocals, the band's sound benefits a great deal from a very rich recording quality that the band themselves managed to capture - in a variety of basements and bedrooms the liner notes seem to indicate, no less. The bass in particular sounds incredible, but the guitar and percussion also sound great. It doesn't hurt that these guys are clearly great musicians as well, no matter how understated they play here. The percussion sounds great - never overbearing, and often more orchestral than rock n roll, a rare talent to find in a drummer. The band was probably smart to outsource the mastering to get a truly professional sound- the beautiful patina that Carl Saff worked on Ends of June clearly benefits the already excellent production.
Considering the great wealth of British Isles folk that's been so celebrated as of late, it's surprising that the band overlooks that treasure trove of potential influences entirely and instead choose to focus their interests across the pond. You'd never guess in a million years that this is a British group - not even a trace of accent. Of course they aren't the first group, nor will they be the last to look to the other side of the Atlantic for inspiration.
Though they have a folk instrumentation that would invite comparisons to the more Appalachian-tinged members of the psyche-folk underground or the 'New Weird America' groups, the distinctly pop vocals and song-writing immediately discounts such comparisons. Ends Of June would sit more comfortably next to Elliot Smith records, Sufjan Stevens, Belle & Sebastian, acoustic Uncle Tupelo, acoustic Shins songs, even pop groups like Death Cab For Cutie. The title track, has a beautiful woodwinds section that recalls Neutral Milk Hotel, and provides a welcome diversion in the sound.
If you're a fan of the above mentioned groups you'll love Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love. The record sounds beautiful, was beautifully played and well-written. " - Left Hip Magazine
Mixing Americana banjos and acoustic guitars with shimmery orch-pop flourishes and lush harmony vocals, the band's sound benefits a great deal from a very rich recording quality that the band themselves managed to capture - in a variety of basements and bedrooms the liner notes seem to indicate, no less. The bass in particular sounds incredible, but the guitar and percussion also sound great. It doesn't hurt that these guys are clearly great musicians as well, no matter how understated they play here. The percussion sounds great - never overbearing, and often more orchestral than rock n roll, a rare talent to find in a drummer. The band was probably smart to outsource the mastering to get a truly professional sound- the beautiful patina that Carl Saff worked on Ends of June clearly benefits the already excellent production.
Considering the great wealth of British Isles folk that's been so celebrated as of late, it's surprising that the band overlooks that treasure trove of potential influences entirely and instead choose to focus their interests across the pond. You'd never guess in a million years that this is a British group - not even a trace of accent. Of course they aren't the first group, nor will they be the last to look to the other side of the Atlantic for inspiration.
Though they have a folk instrumentation that would invite comparisons to the more Appalachian-tinged members of the psyche-folk underground or the 'New Weird America' groups, the distinctly pop vocals and song-writing immediately discounts such comparisons. Ends Of June would sit more comfortably next to Elliot Smith records, Sufjan Stevens, Belle & Sebastian, acoustic Uncle Tupelo, acoustic Shins songs, even pop groups like Death Cab For Cutie. The title track, has a beautiful woodwinds section that recalls Neutral Milk Hotel, and provides a welcome diversion in the sound.
If you're a fan of the above mentioned groups you'll love Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love. The record sounds beautiful, was beautifully played and well-written. " - Left Hip Magazine
"The UK band Low Low Low La La Love Love Love match Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start for the most bloated band name. The music here is anything but overblown though. Low La Love plays an inviting mixture of indie folk mixed with subtle electronics. Self-recorded and produced in the band’s bedroom studio, Ends Of June echoes that same intimacy in its twelve songs. These are delicate but instrumentally diverse pop songs. Guitars, banjo, harmonica, clarinet, glockenspiel, keyboards and percussion create an intriguing mix of melancholy. The emotions of the heart are in play here on Ends of June. The album is affecting but grows a bit weary at times. Low La Love are incredibly deft at the somber pop-folk tune but Ends Of June could use a bit more diversity. The record suffers a bit from a lack of changing dynamics. On the positive side though, Ends Of June is about as cohesive sounding a record as you will find. Low La Love create a warm elegance that never overwhelms the listener. Ends Of June is a commendable effort indeed." - Sound as Language
"Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love have too long of a name. That’s about it for criticism, on to the good stuff. L3L3L3 is a group of people from England playing songs that sound distinctly American. I can’t say what it is, maybe it’s just because there are slide guitars on parts, maybe it’s because their three biggest influences are Neil Young, Elliott Smith, and Neutral Milk Hotel, maybe it’s because I’m lazy and unless it’s dance-rock I’m not going to automatically think British. Probably all of these are (at least partly) true.
Imagine a band (possibly Akron/Family or Midlake) fronted by Stephen Malkmus, but with a sensitive side. Add mournful, squalid, and dirty guitars. Add some banjo (on occasion and only on mid-tempo songs. no “Yonder Mountain String Band Syndrome”). Add tasteful - but extra - percussion. Add enough Elliott Smith to make you think, but not enough to make you act on it. Subtract some bad attitude. Divide it, not for any particular reason, just divide it.
Anyway, enjoy what Kelly Dyson has created, an America that never really existed. One built on bonfires, dark birds on telegraph wires, old men with older faces, ancient cars crawling along treetops, and cheap, good beer. It’s what he does for me, it’s what he does for you.
This is a great song, even taken out of context. Please listen to the rest of the context. It is vitally important to you, me, and Fake America." - Peer Validated
Imagine a band (possibly Akron/Family or Midlake) fronted by Stephen Malkmus, but with a sensitive side. Add mournful, squalid, and dirty guitars. Add some banjo (on occasion and only on mid-tempo songs. no “Yonder Mountain String Band Syndrome”). Add tasteful - but extra - percussion. Add enough Elliott Smith to make you think, but not enough to make you act on it. Subtract some bad attitude. Divide it, not for any particular reason, just divide it.
Anyway, enjoy what Kelly Dyson has created, an America that never really existed. One built on bonfires, dark birds on telegraph wires, old men with older faces, ancient cars crawling along treetops, and cheap, good beer. It’s what he does for me, it’s what he does for you.
This is a great song, even taken out of context. Please listen to the rest of the context. It is vitally important to you, me, and Fake America." - Peer Validated
"I usually try and avoid regurgitating press releases in reviews, but I’m going to make an exception here, as the “sounds like” bit of this one is just about spot on. As well as some other bands I haven’t heard of (But will probably now check out), Low... are described as being akin to Nick Drake, The Mountain Goats and Songs: Ohia. If I were to imagine a combination of these three artists then I reckon I’d probably be thinking of something pretty similar to what I’m listening to now. As is often the way with really good albums though, Low... transcend their influences and create a sound which is very definitely their own.
The album is very soft and gentle throughout, with gently rapping drums and undulating bass framing the intricately dancing guitar / banjo / whatever happened to be around on that particular track perfectly. All the focus is on the vocals though, which show elements of both Nick Drake as mentioned above and American Football’s Mike Kinsella, and display a wistful splendour rarely heard.
I have to admit to being really pleasantly surprised by this album. It’s one of those rare ones that comes out of nowhere and ends up being utterly great, and potentially a future classic. Forget all the crappy advert music that’s popular at the moment, do your ears a favour and pick up a copy of this." - Die Shellsuit, Die!
"The lo-fi ambiance of home-recorded music has a way of engulfing the willing listener, wrapping the music in the warmth of tape hiss and background noise. Most bedroom indie rock tends to be the kind that you can get away with playing in your bedroom; acoustic guitars, fragile vocals and subtle embellishments. And while sometimes the sparseness of the arrangements is part of the artists’ modus operandi (early Mountain Goats, Beat Happening), there are times when that intimate atmosphere gives a false emotional weight to rather mediocre songwriting.
Thankfully the UK group Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love (a mouthful that the band itself refers to as just Low Low) wrote a really good collection of songs that they recorded in band member’s apartments over the last couple years. Despite their bedrooms being in the UK, they look towards the US indie scene for inspiration. Originally a duo, they’ve filled out with a semi-revolving cast of musicians, using all the tools at their disposal to craft songs with a relaxed charm. Since they’re young people with acoustic guitars and a trunk full of other instruments, they must be freak-folk, right? While they do share a similar looseness and experimental streak as Devendra Banhart and Animal Collective, they sound more like a low-budget Sufjan Stevens orchestra. Using oblique lyrics full of places and people, they suggest various failures, deaths and betrayals. At times the combination of lilting vocals and trebly, single-note riffs recalls the naval-gazing of Midwest emo groups like American Football or Mineral. But most of the album mines that same vein of American roots music as Akron/Family, Songs:Ohia and Cat Power.
Vocals and stringed instruments overlap in confusing ways, verging on impressionistic sound collages before they suddenly congeal into a recognizable melody. There are moments, like in "Turn for the Day," when voice and guitar catch up and equalize a dissonance made all the more powerful by its simplicity. Highlights like “Black Black Window” and “Goodnight Louisa” show their adeptness at creating a space with their music, marrying dynamics and layered unprocessed recordings to create the surreal experience of a “band in a room” recording suddenly revealing itself to be “band in a cathedral” or “band at the bottom of a canyon.”
"Ears are for Listening" brings things to close with a hushed lullaby that sounds like a particularly sleep-deprived Sufjan Stevens. A rusty banjo plucks out a steady pattern while a two-note guitar riff struggles to keep its concentration as a wave of feedback rolls. And in just the same kind of dramatic (yet well-placed) shift as exhibited earlier, everything drops out so a clarinet can play the last warm notes to end the album. 7.9/10 " - 30 Music
Thankfully the UK group Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love (a mouthful that the band itself refers to as just Low Low) wrote a really good collection of songs that they recorded in band member’s apartments over the last couple years. Despite their bedrooms being in the UK, they look towards the US indie scene for inspiration. Originally a duo, they’ve filled out with a semi-revolving cast of musicians, using all the tools at their disposal to craft songs with a relaxed charm. Since they’re young people with acoustic guitars and a trunk full of other instruments, they must be freak-folk, right? While they do share a similar looseness and experimental streak as Devendra Banhart and Animal Collective, they sound more like a low-budget Sufjan Stevens orchestra. Using oblique lyrics full of places and people, they suggest various failures, deaths and betrayals. At times the combination of lilting vocals and trebly, single-note riffs recalls the naval-gazing of Midwest emo groups like American Football or Mineral. But most of the album mines that same vein of American roots music as Akron/Family, Songs:Ohia and Cat Power.
Vocals and stringed instruments overlap in confusing ways, verging on impressionistic sound collages before they suddenly congeal into a recognizable melody. There are moments, like in "Turn for the Day," when voice and guitar catch up and equalize a dissonance made all the more powerful by its simplicity. Highlights like “Black Black Window” and “Goodnight Louisa” show their adeptness at creating a space with their music, marrying dynamics and layered unprocessed recordings to create the surreal experience of a “band in a room” recording suddenly revealing itself to be “band in a cathedral” or “band at the bottom of a canyon.”
"Ears are for Listening" brings things to close with a hushed lullaby that sounds like a particularly sleep-deprived Sufjan Stevens. A rusty banjo plucks out a steady pattern while a two-note guitar riff struggles to keep its concentration as a wave of feedback rolls. And in just the same kind of dramatic (yet well-placed) shift as exhibited earlier, everything drops out so a clarinet can play the last warm notes to end the album. 7.9/10 " - 30 Music
"Now, once you’ve got your head around the name of the band, I challenge you to click on the Myspace link below and listen to the songs before reading the rest of this review. Go on… just click…
Right, now that you’ve done that, have a guess on where Low Low are from? No, not America, but the UK. From the North West in fact. Lead Low Low-er Kelly Dyson being based in Carlisle in Cumbria. This is a UK-based band that aren’t following the NME-dictated musical fashion. With Ends of June they’ve crated a beautiful piece of Alt-Country Americana full of dark, dusky and heartfelt songs.
Recorded in their bedroom studio the music is a richly woven carpet of sound, an array of multi-layer and textured instruments from the banjo to the xylophone. The opening The Way You Play feels like the missing link between Band of Horses and early Bright Eyes. The perfect vocal harmonies, intricately played banjo and a haunting electric guitar riff that kicks in during the refrain all weave together to create a perfect wall of sound. It comes as no surprise to know that their initial ideas and debut album followed a more post-rock blueprint. The music is so perfectly executed and played, the instruments layered in a way that augments each of the songs. It’s not hiding the songwriting, but embellishing it and acting in unison. Iron In The Soul sounds like something Calexico might come up with. It’s a song with a widescreen view, the banjo and guitars duelling for your attention whilst Dyson’s voice sounds pained and strained, battling with emotion whilst delivering his story. Black Black Window follows a more folk-tinged path, Dyson’s multi-layer vocals floating over the skipping drums and sliding guitar whilst the epic Believer sounds like a twisted Gospel song. The sparse music ducks and dives around the vocals, the burst of harmonica making it sound like something played during the Great Depression, the perfect soundtrack to a trek across America’s dust bowl of the 1930’s.
It only loses momentum towards the end of the record, the twelve epic songs hold your attention but you feel worn out by their sheer grandness. You can only hope that a record like this escapes the confines of it’s simple birth and reaches the multitudes that it deserves. This is an album that’s in equal measures simple, refined and yet striving to be something much, much more. The multi-layer vocals and music seem too ambitious to have been recorded in a bedroom studio and yet they work. Brilliantly in fact. Support an artist and let it be Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love. - 85% " - The Line of Best Fit
Right, now that you’ve done that, have a guess on where Low Low are from? No, not America, but the UK. From the North West in fact. Lead Low Low-er Kelly Dyson being based in Carlisle in Cumbria. This is a UK-based band that aren’t following the NME-dictated musical fashion. With Ends of June they’ve crated a beautiful piece of Alt-Country Americana full of dark, dusky and heartfelt songs.
Recorded in their bedroom studio the music is a richly woven carpet of sound, an array of multi-layer and textured instruments from the banjo to the xylophone. The opening The Way You Play feels like the missing link between Band of Horses and early Bright Eyes. The perfect vocal harmonies, intricately played banjo and a haunting electric guitar riff that kicks in during the refrain all weave together to create a perfect wall of sound. It comes as no surprise to know that their initial ideas and debut album followed a more post-rock blueprint. The music is so perfectly executed and played, the instruments layered in a way that augments each of the songs. It’s not hiding the songwriting, but embellishing it and acting in unison. Iron In The Soul sounds like something Calexico might come up with. It’s a song with a widescreen view, the banjo and guitars duelling for your attention whilst Dyson’s voice sounds pained and strained, battling with emotion whilst delivering his story. Black Black Window follows a more folk-tinged path, Dyson’s multi-layer vocals floating over the skipping drums and sliding guitar whilst the epic Believer sounds like a twisted Gospel song. The sparse music ducks and dives around the vocals, the burst of harmonica making it sound like something played during the Great Depression, the perfect soundtrack to a trek across America’s dust bowl of the 1930’s.
It only loses momentum towards the end of the record, the twelve epic songs hold your attention but you feel worn out by their sheer grandness. You can only hope that a record like this escapes the confines of it’s simple birth and reaches the multitudes that it deserves. This is an album that’s in equal measures simple, refined and yet striving to be something much, much more. The multi-layer vocals and music seem too ambitious to have been recorded in a bedroom studio and yet they work. Brilliantly in fact. Support an artist and let it be Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love. - 85% " - The Line of Best Fit
"There are moments on this album (from the only alt-country band in the world who can give you RSI just typing their name), which evoke such a sense of sadness and defeat in the face of the world, that you wonder if it should carry some kind of warning for anyone with a history of depression to steer clear. Bleak, it most certainly is. At times, its beautiful, but at others the songs are so slight as to barely be there at all. Its almost dinner party music, albeit for people for whom dinner consists of a bottle of Jim Beam. Only on the demented Mariachi of, 'the Messy One' does the tone lighten up a bit, with every other song travelling a similar anguished road. Once they hit their stride they don't deviate very far, and a little more variety wouldn't have gone amiss. Still, If you're planning to have a really good sulk, ideally in a darkened room, I heartily recommend this album as the soundtrack." - Tasty Fanzine
"UK six piece Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love has one of the most hilarious names ever invented. Was someone stuttering when the name was penned or does the band simply like repetition? But seriously, following up on their album from three years ago, they've now put out a little gem that speaks in whispers. It gently weaves haunting tunes in and around your ears. Kelly Dyson has a near-perfect set of vocal chords. All drenched in salt and bitter ale, he bitterly sings of disappointments and desolation. One thing that is felt and heard in just about every track is a small glistening of hope. Somewhere at the end of that long, dark tunnel, there is that sparkling light. You can't touch it in reality but in your dreams, you know it's there, tucked safely away underneath a thick blanket of cool, winter air. Not surprisingly, the lyrics are at the forefront of this folk-drenched band. On "Fear of a Wide Open Life", the band notes:
"I'm 6 years from 34
I'm 3 minutes from an ambulance
I'm a bus ride from anywhere
I'm 40 winks from morning
I'm a cold hand from my relief
Though you're sleeping next to me again
I'm a cold hand without a glove
But let's wait a year for the next one
I'm a gap from a train
I'm a spectrum away from a colourful life."
Or on the title track, Dyson sadly inflects:
"After the age of toleration
I looked about for the damage
Another time I guess nothing happened
Another time I heard our children crying
It turned out to be on the TV
We collect bones in the summer
I sometimes find them strewn amongst the flowers."
All this done with the most delicate touches on acoustic guitars, percussion and tingling of woodwinds. Graceful, without being pompous and serious with all the right intentions at heart, "Ends of June" celebrates the death of summer before it even has a chance to unfold its wings. As your depression hits you, you realize that hell, this is one fine accompaniment for the slow road to a lonely death." - Gaz-Eta
"I'm 6 years from 34
I'm 3 minutes from an ambulance
I'm a bus ride from anywhere
I'm 40 winks from morning
I'm a cold hand from my relief
Though you're sleeping next to me again
I'm a cold hand without a glove
But let's wait a year for the next one
I'm a gap from a train
I'm a spectrum away from a colourful life."
Or on the title track, Dyson sadly inflects:
"After the age of toleration
I looked about for the damage
Another time I guess nothing happened
Another time I heard our children crying
It turned out to be on the TV
We collect bones in the summer
I sometimes find them strewn amongst the flowers."
All this done with the most delicate touches on acoustic guitars, percussion and tingling of woodwinds. Graceful, without being pompous and serious with all the right intentions at heart, "Ends of June" celebrates the death of summer before it even has a chance to unfold its wings. As your depression hits you, you realize that hell, this is one fine accompaniment for the slow road to a lonely death." - Gaz-Eta
"Oftentimes bands and publicity one-sheets compare their sound to Iron & Wine, but almost always the music resembles some type of pussyness filled out by acoustic emo fantasies. Low Low… also claim such comparisons, but unlike these other jokers they actually come close to Sam Beam’s glorious sound, as well as sprinkles of Elliott Smith, and in-between Low Low… add wrinkles of their own. This belief comes immediately in the form of the amazing opener “The Way You Play,” a four-minute, organic acoustic rambler. Perhaps as equally surprising as the quality of Low Low is that they are British and don’t have any bit of rustic Americana floating around. Initially started as a solo project of Kelly Dyson, he soon joined up with a group of musicians in Manchester and released the 2004 record Birds and Rodents. The twelve-song Ends of June is now the band’s second release, first in the US, and first for up & coming stellar indie label Other Electricities. As you waltz past the aforementioned opener “The Way You Play,” you are also struck by the harmonies on “Mayfly” (very Howard Hello-ish), the intense acoustic “Iron in the Soul,” the soft “Black Black Window,” and “Happiness at the New Day.” An impossibly long moniker, but also an impossibly bright future. " - Exoduster
"I can understand why people would want to associate their band with the likes of Devendra Banhart, Iron & Wine and other like-minded nü-folkies. A few years back the indie scene regressed into the tinny backwoods sounds created by one of the most criminally underrated instruments ever, the banjo. This new 'scene,' one that more often than not featured headdresses, hushed vocals and campfire chants, seemed unstoppable. Every week, it seemed as though a new band crawled out of the woodpile behind the shed, beards overgrown from a long winter's nap, ready to pluck away at a moment's notice. Yet, just as quickly as it arrived, it seemed to disappear. We've been waiting on pins and needles for follow-ups from the aforementioned artists while others have outright disappeared or broadened their sound to outgrow the description. Formerly a folk duo, Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love has returned in a group format, and falls into that latter category of broadening that original tinny sound. I can tell you right now that I'm not repeating that band name again throughout the body of the article. You can expect either 9L or Lx9 or even just Low Low. The new record is called Ends of June and was ironically released at the end of May. Wise guys, eh?
If Austin band Midlake is an amalgamation of indie folk and 70's AM radio mainstays Fleetwood Mac, then it's fair to say that 9L is a combination of a similar indie folk and '70s radio mainstays Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Gorgeous stretching acoustic phrases are layered over with harmonic vocals that soothe the savage breast. The thing is, those two cats in the yard have turned into two cars on cinderblocks rusting in the sun. Not that it's a bad thing. What I mean is, there's something naturally nostalgic about 9L. Banjoes and harmonicas throughout the album only lend to the reverie for the decade with the shaggy hair, bellbottomed trousers and fringed cowboy shirts. It's as if Kelly Leak from the Bad News Bears started a bar band after Little League so he could get more chicks. "The Way You Play" is the perfect introduction to the album, drowsy and melodic, like a new indie take on "Tequila Sunrise."
Echoes of Nick Drake, the Flying Burrito Brothers and Buffalo Springfield reverberate throughout Ends of June, a lazy summer evening album if ever there was one. "Iron in the Soul" defies logic by being a tense yet slow burning track. The pining sound of the guitar and the throwback A.M. radio drum patterns send one spinning into memory faster than Proust eating a cookie. The closest similarity to an existing act is probably to Will Oldham. Listen to "Believer," aptly enough, to come to this realization. Songs like this highlight go to show that there's still more ground to cover in this once recently popular genre. The full band aspect has done been before, and so has the harmonized vocals, but never together in such a way as this." - Treble
If Austin band Midlake is an amalgamation of indie folk and 70's AM radio mainstays Fleetwood Mac, then it's fair to say that 9L is a combination of a similar indie folk and '70s radio mainstays Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Gorgeous stretching acoustic phrases are layered over with harmonic vocals that soothe the savage breast. The thing is, those two cats in the yard have turned into two cars on cinderblocks rusting in the sun. Not that it's a bad thing. What I mean is, there's something naturally nostalgic about 9L. Banjoes and harmonicas throughout the album only lend to the reverie for the decade with the shaggy hair, bellbottomed trousers and fringed cowboy shirts. It's as if Kelly Leak from the Bad News Bears started a bar band after Little League so he could get more chicks. "The Way You Play" is the perfect introduction to the album, drowsy and melodic, like a new indie take on "Tequila Sunrise."
Echoes of Nick Drake, the Flying Burrito Brothers and Buffalo Springfield reverberate throughout Ends of June, a lazy summer evening album if ever there was one. "Iron in the Soul" defies logic by being a tense yet slow burning track. The pining sound of the guitar and the throwback A.M. radio drum patterns send one spinning into memory faster than Proust eating a cookie. The closest similarity to an existing act is probably to Will Oldham. Listen to "Believer," aptly enough, to come to this realization. Songs like this highlight go to show that there's still more ground to cover in this once recently popular genre. The full band aspect has done been before, and so has the harmonized vocals, but never together in such a way as this." - Treble
"Based on their long-winded name, some may dismiss Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love as pretentious indie rockers or a mere novelty act. The British sextet are neither. Influenced by the fragile pop of Elliott Smith and alt-folk of Iron & Wine, their sophomore effort, "Ends Of June," is full of well-written acoustic songs suited for late-night summer lounging.
While it may lack the immediate impact of their much heralded American peers, the subtle instrumentation and melancholic nature of "Ends Of June" beguile with each repeated spin. A duo when they released 2004's self-titled debut, the additional players add warmth and diversity. Lightly strummed guitars, banjo, harmonica and glockenspiel intertwine with hushed vocal harmonies from Chris Robinson and multi-instrumentalist brothers Kelly and Ellis Dyson on melodic gems such as "Good Night Lousia" and the stripped-down, pensive "My Ears Are For Listening." Self-recorded in a bedroom studio, "Ends Of June" retains the welcoming atmosphere of the intimate setting. This is an album you won't soon tire of. " - The Japan Times
While it may lack the immediate impact of their much heralded American peers, the subtle instrumentation and melancholic nature of "Ends Of June" beguile with each repeated spin. A duo when they released 2004's self-titled debut, the additional players add warmth and diversity. Lightly strummed guitars, banjo, harmonica and glockenspiel intertwine with hushed vocal harmonies from Chris Robinson and multi-instrumentalist brothers Kelly and Ellis Dyson on melodic gems such as "Good Night Lousia" and the stripped-down, pensive "My Ears Are For Listening." Self-recorded in a bedroom studio, "Ends Of June" retains the welcoming atmosphere of the intimate setting. This is an album you won't soon tire of. " - The Japan Times
"What starts out as a peek in on a jam session turns into a meditation on the creative process. Songs build steam from a grain of salt and become full fledged soaring numbers before ending at the indifference of a drum stick drop, or a wrong note on the guitar. An air of playfulness can sometimes mask the seriousness of these tracks but the careful listener will find enrichment buried within Low Low Low...'s pieces. The instrumentation alone is luscious and squeezed for all the harmonious and melodic effect you could wish for. It seems nowadays these bands are a dime a dozen so what makes Low Low Low... any different? The answer is they really aren't, they are just plain beautiful, and I think it's about time we could find beautiful music at a dime a dozen. This ladies and gentlemen is the new Folk; bearing their honesty, melding CSN&Y harmonies with Radiohead anxiety, and playing instruments with a richness unrivaled in electronic distortion." - 4/5 Lucidforge
"How many times have you asked yourself “who comes up with this shit?” Well, those were my exact sentiments when I reached in the brown paper bag inside my garage to grab another CD to review for Sound the Sirens. Fortunately, there are damn few left in the tattered old sack; but one of them is a disc I received several months back from a band with the longest and perhaps silliest name I have ever heard. Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love, henceforth known as 9 L’s, hails from Manchester in the United Kingdom. Beyond the fact that Ends of June is their second CD release, I know precious little about the band. Since everybody and their moms now have MySpace pages, I found out these guys have an eclectic range of influences including Neil Young, Jack Kerouac, Bert Jansch (he’s got a MySpace page too) and Bob Dylan.
Ends of June begins with a stunningly beautiful track call “The Way You Play,” a song that filled my delighted ears with acoustic guitars, banjo and superbly executed harmonized vocals. For a quick comparison, the song reminded me of great folk rock performers like the Eagles and early Grateful Dead from their Workingman’s Dead / American Beauty period. British lads have always been good at incorporating Yankee influences like blues and rock and 9 L’s have skillfully absorbed American folk into their melodic sound. For example, “Iron In The Soul” offers up layered harmonies that made bands like Crosby, Stills and Nash and the Byrds successful while “Black Black Window” maintains indie rock and alternative country sensibilities. “Goodnight Louisa” is dynamic if not somewhat stark with heavy drumming in spots that effectively changes tempo and groove toward the end of the song. Glockenspiel and clarinet parts also add creative elements to sweeten the sound of the tracks; and on the title song, the woodwind sound is put to effective use as the song’s primary instrument. “Happiness” alternates between an airy ½ time feel and quarter note drone with a minor scale that is very much the opposite of joy. Since I listened to this loudly through my headphones, I was able to zone in on the instrumental nuances that fit together as tightly as Lego pieces.
If I have any criticism of the 9 L’s new CD it would be that their overall melodies are a bit less than stellar. Much of that challenge is overcome by the incredible vocals on nearly every song on this effort. In this area they are far ahead of most of their peers playing folk rock or country music. This disc does offer a substantial collection of rocking chair on the front porch Americana served up by British musicians who are journeymen practitioners of the art form." - Sound the Sirens
"The second outing (and US debut) from this Manchester (UK) sextet that began as a solo project for Kelly Dyson, blossomed into a folk rock duo featuring Natalia Brightmore that self-released their debut album in 2004, and is now comprised of four vocalists, three percussionists and two guitarists (with a partridge in a pear tree probably hovering around in the background somewhere as well!) Laidback harmonies highlight opener, “The Way You Play,” which features some country-tinged banjo plucking, and this, along with “Turn For The Day” find the band putting their four vocalist attack to good use, creating a 21st century cross between Buffalo Springfield and CSNY, with a folky Nick Drake/Six Organs of Admittance backing – the latter is particularly evident on the swirling, cotton-mouthed psychedelia of closer, “Fear of A Wide Open Life.”
“Black Black Window” twangs itself into Wilco/Golden Smog territory and makes itself quite comfortably at home, thank you! Dyson’s brother(?), Ellis provides clarinet on the title tune, adding a surprising little jazzy element to the set, like someone just dropped a tray of ice cubes down your shorts. The track’s syncopated, stop-motion arrangement nearly outdoes Neutral Milk Hotel and Olivia Tremor Control at their old, weird game and will have Elephant 6 fans frothing in anticipation.
Fans of the often frustratingly difficult, artistically spotty alt.country scene could do worse than checking out this tasty little morsel; just a word of commercial advice, however: lose that godawful name – Low and Love are already taken and La La La will get folks confusing you with the experimental Finnish label (Lal Lal Lal)!" - 7/10 Foxy Digitalis
“Black Black Window” twangs itself into Wilco/Golden Smog territory and makes itself quite comfortably at home, thank you! Dyson’s brother(?), Ellis provides clarinet on the title tune, adding a surprising little jazzy element to the set, like someone just dropped a tray of ice cubes down your shorts. The track’s syncopated, stop-motion arrangement nearly outdoes Neutral Milk Hotel and Olivia Tremor Control at their old, weird game and will have Elephant 6 fans frothing in anticipation.
Fans of the often frustratingly difficult, artistically spotty alt.country scene could do worse than checking out this tasty little morsel; just a word of commercial advice, however: lose that godawful name – Low and Love are already taken and La La La will get folks confusing you with the experimental Finnish label (Lal Lal Lal)!" - 7/10 Foxy Digitalis
"These relative newcomers are off to an auspicious start with Ends of June, their second LP but first stateside release. Deft, tender harmonies glimmer and tremble throughout this bedroom-studio gem like wind-whipped flames from a high plains campfire, its warm, full-bodied acoustic guitars and gentle bass cradling their plucked brother banjo in a supportive, organic embrace. Restrained, barely-there percussion appears on a few songs, as do woodwinds, vibes, a slide guitar, and other subtle visitors. There’s a lone, subdued electric song, “The Messy One,” which smacks vaguely of Six Parts Seven-style reflection, draped with the brothers Kelly and Ellis Dyson’s ubiquitous harmonies until picking up towards the end into a graceful two-step of sorts.
Stylistically, it’s hard to believe that these guys aren’t from Oregon. Their music sounds so completely at home around the modern American alt-folk bonfire that with no prior knowledge, my first guess of region would definitely have been the Pacific Northwest—Canada perhaps a runner-up assumption, due to an occasional Neil Young-inspired tendency. As it happens, this tragically over-named band springs from Buxton, Derbyshire, UK. The brothers Dyson were originally collaborating long distance on material purportedly more post-rock, while Kelly Dyson privately filed away his quieter acoustic diversions. Following a relationship breakup, brother Kelly discovered his accumulated wealth of acoustic doldrums poised to overtake his entire creative condition, and so he chose to move with them to Buxton in 2004 to focus and collaborate more closely with brother Ellis. Vocalist Natalia Brightmore serendipitously filled out some enchanting male/female harmonies on songs that blossomed into the self-titled, first Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love album, self-released only in the UK but now available online for download. Ends of June finds the brothers Dyson continuing on with their aching acoustic pursuits, and though a shift in personnel leaves June without the poignant feminine element of their former lineup, the album is still a radiant, multifaceted accomplishment.
Every song on Ends of June brings listeners into its fold like a softhearted patchwork quilt, each patch informed by one clear influence or another but with barely perceptible overall seams. The disparate corners of today’s alt-folk genre are already well-defined with the likes of such acts as Portland’s contemplative, cinematic Norfolk & Western; the dark but creative modern roots-folk Califone; piously humanistic, down-home, Simon & Garfunkel-style Iron & Wine; proud, elaborately orchestrated Sufjan Stevens; the list goes on. Elements of all of these can be detected in the songs of Low La Love, not to mention subtle hints of post-rock Americana distantly redolent of the New Year or Calexico. With so many little signifiers poking out of these songs it seems too early in Low Low’s hopefully prolific career to make any assumptions of their future sound, but as for the present, it’s a sweet, fulfilling and instantly inviting one. “Black Black Window,” for example, offers a gorgeous mix of acoustic and placid electric guitar, plus some slide guitar, bass and understated drums that support a singed falsetto somehow both sedate and imbued with furtive intensity. The standout track in this reviewer’s opinion is “Goodnight Louisa,” a pared-down number that starts with an Elliot Smithian kind of stomp and later relaxes into the album’s high water mark, an arresting, heartfelt revival of one of traditional folk’s most endearing lyrical devices, the woman’s name as refrain. Complete with harmonies and handclaps, it’s a homely, straightforward bulls-eye, one of many on this genuine, front-porch record that grows stronger with every spin." - Crawdaddy
"As summertime fast approaches, it's hard not to dream of warm nights, late-night parties/outings and campfires. But what music would we want to accompany such a laid-back and enjoyable night? I'd like to put Low Low low La La La Love Love Love forward as a candidate for a great summertime album.
Or any time album for that matter. Besides having one of the most frustrating names to type, Low Low -- consisting of UK musicians Chris Robinson, Kelly Dyson, Ellis Dyson, Gugo Edwardes, Nick Guy and Brian Lutchmiah -- present a slow, gentle album that's almost completely unplugged. Don't expect big songs, big sounds or lots of loudness -- you'll be disappointed. But perhaps you haven't approached Low Low looking for that -- you will find, however, a lot of unplugged songs as Kelly Dyson strums away on his acoustic guitar (or banjo), singing with a very mellifluous voice about, well, love -- but it's not overly saccharine or cheesy. In fact, everything comes together very well. It's immediate and warm, comforting and gentle -- filled with a sound more lovely than Iron and Wine could ever hope to accomplish on this side of the Atlantic. It's also quite intimate -- like you've pulled up a chair around a campfire on a warm summer night, the sun setting behind you while you and your friends get drunk and celebrate being alive. Oh, and someone has a guitar with them, of course. Stylistically, it’s hard to believe that these guys aren’t from Oregon. Their music sounds so completely at home around the modern American alt-folk bonfire that with no prior knowledge, my first guess of region would definitely have been the Pacific Northwest—Canada perhaps a runner-up assumption, due to an occasional Neil Young-inspired tendency. As it happens, this tragically over-named band springs from Buxton, Derbyshire, UK. The brothers Dyson were originally collaborating long distance on material purportedly more post-rock, while Kelly Dyson privately filed away his quieter acoustic diversions. Following a relationship breakup, brother Kelly discovered his accumulated wealth of acoustic doldrums poised to overtake his entire creative condition, and so he chose to move with them to Buxton in 2004 to focus and collaborate more closely with brother Ellis. Vocalist Natalia Brightmore serendipitously filled out some enchanting male/female harmonies on songs that blossomed into the self-titled, first Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love album, self-released only in the UK but now available online for download. Ends of June finds the brothers Dyson continuing on with their aching acoustic pursuits, and though a shift in personnel leaves June without the poignant feminine element of their former lineup, the album is still a radiant, multifaceted accomplishment.
Every song on Ends of June brings listeners into its fold like a softhearted patchwork quilt, each patch informed by one clear influence or another but with barely perceptible overall seams. The disparate corners of today’s alt-folk genre are already well-defined with the likes of such acts as Portland’s contemplative, cinematic Norfolk & Western; the dark but creative modern roots-folk Califone; piously humanistic, down-home, Simon & Garfunkel-style Iron & Wine; proud, elaborately orchestrated Sufjan Stevens; the list goes on. Elements of all of these can be detected in the songs of Low La Love, not to mention subtle hints of post-rock Americana distantly redolent of the New Year or Calexico. With so many little signifiers poking out of these songs it seems too early in Low Low’s hopefully prolific career to make any assumptions of their future sound, but as for the present, it’s a sweet, fulfilling and instantly inviting one. “Black Black Window,” for example, offers a gorgeous mix of acoustic and placid electric guitar, plus some slide guitar, bass and understated drums that support a singed falsetto somehow both sedate and imbued with furtive intensity. The standout track in this reviewer’s opinion is “Goodnight Louisa,” a pared-down number that starts with an Elliot Smithian kind of stomp and later relaxes into the album’s high water mark, an arresting, heartfelt revival of one of traditional folk’s most endearing lyrical devices, the woman’s name as refrain. Complete with harmonies and handclaps, it’s a homely, straightforward bulls-eye, one of many on this genuine, front-porch record that grows stronger with every spin." - Crawdaddy
Take "Happiness at the End of the Day," a song that starts with beautiful acoustic strumming and reaches a certain grandeur as the song goes on. Or better yet, the album's opening track, "The Way You Play," which is a great little song featuring a wide variety of music. But the mood is all the same: laidback and lovely. And who can resist the handclaps on "Fear of a Wide Open Life," and the ghostly chorus on "Black Black Window" -- the latter being perhaps the album's strongest track.
This may be a little too melodramatic for some -- indeed, perhaps the biggest complaint that could be levelled at Low Low is that their particular brand of folk music is overdone -- there are plenty of albums out there right now that are soft, gentle and consist of flowery and quiet love songs. But Low Low do it well, so I'm willing to forgive their intrusion into an already saturated genre.
That being said, if there was anything I'd like to see that's different it would be, I don't know, a little bit more 'up-ness.' Gentleness is one thing, but how much can we tolerate before we're lulled into sleep or distraction? True, "Iron in the Soul" picks things up a little bit -- it's a bit more jaunty and less relaxing, but that's the exception to the rule. There's plenty of joie de vivre, but it's a quiet and restrained joy -- considering what's offered here, more outright, loud proclamations of love and joy would go a long way on this album.
Regardless, listening to Ends of June, makes me wish for the end of June, of summertime, parties and listening to great music as everything winds down and goes their separate ways. I think of endings with Low Low, but as their second full length LP, I see beginnings -- and a big one at that -- for this gentle band from across the pond. SCORE: 8.1" - Two Way Monologues
"The same self who finds The Byrds beautiful, brilliant and soothing, truly appreciates Ends of June. The sound is wholesome, communal, and natural; it achieves exactly what hippie music consistently promises yet fails to deliver. You can't help listening to the 9 Ls without feeling like the 8th member. The chorus of voices (at least 3) are so inviting, it's difficult to listen without joining.
Classified as folk music, Low Low Low… is not as flat and predictable as many of the acts found in this genre. Rather than music ruled by acoustic guitar and voice, Ends of June generously features percussion, electric guitar and banjo consistently, while picking moments for horns, harmonica, and xylophone. One of the best tracks, "Goodnight Louisa", is evidence of how unique the 9 Ls can sound. Beginning with a darker tone as the guitar plays the opening riff on the low E string, the xylophone kicks in with the foreboding gentility of a wind chime that runs in and out of a mostly simple 4/4 beat played on snare and ride. The vocals trim down to two voices for most of this song, and the melody is the catch, as each line delivers enough language for most rockers entire verse. Finally, the emotion-laden track slows into a dirge over its last moments, with a chorus of Louisas and horns leading the way.
The best songs on Ends of June (listed below) have so much going on musically (vocals included as an instrument for a band with this style), it may take numerous listens to pick up the exact purpose of the lyrics or appreciate all the sounds that make up each song. It logically follows from this that Ends of June will become a better disc with every listen. Low Low Low… is one of the few bands creating music today that doesn't immediately bring to mind what others are already doing, so treasure this gem.
Tracks added to iPod: The way you play, Mayfly, Black Black Window, Goodnight Louisa, Ends of June" - Anti-Music
"Battling Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start for primacy in the Worst Band Name Ever Sweepstakes, British alt-folkies Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love at least have them well beat as a band. Ends of June is a genuinely terrific album, a collection of 12 heartfelt, largely acoustic, quiet bedroom pop songs that does in fact sound kinda like a cross between Low, the La's and Love, although to be fully descriptive, their name would also have to mention Belle & Sebastian, Neutral Milk Hotel and Sebadoh. The heart of the band, singer and lyricist Kelly Dyson, clearly has been having a rough time of it, as these dozen songs depict the unraveling of a romance in clinical but never mawkish or self-pitying detail, and the rest of the collective, led by his multi-instrumentalist brother Ellis Dyson, fill in the moody, semi-slowcore tunes with acoustic guitars, banjo, clarinet, keyboards and percussion. Fans of the U.K. indie stalwarts the Trembling Blue Stars will find a similar blend of heartache and D.I.Y. elegance on Ends of June, and there's nothing here that wouldn't instantly appeal to any fan of Elliott Smith's later albums." - allmusic
"And so it seems here we have the perfect album if we're feeling low and heart broken... You know, you can't get a single "La" out and love is a sigh, a memory that is slowly fading away...
LOW LOW LOW LA LA LA LOVE LOVE LOVE's Ends of June are the tumbleweeds blowing across your dusty road back to recovery... Under a pink harvest moon they will lull you back to sleep and nurse you back whole with bedroom-folk of the prettiest calibre.
It's a lo-fi DO MAKE SAY THINK gently rocking on your front porch...
They pluck on banjo's, twinkle over glockenspiels, strum and pick acoustic guitars and harmonize like a sunset over your heart.
Sweet, simple and sad, aching with shoegazed soul.
Do you like Elliott Smith? The Microphones? Iron and Wine perhaps?
On repeat over and over it's more and more la la la and love love love...
I can't stop listening to it... seriously it's almost been a week now!
It's June now and maybe I don't want this to end..." - Who needs radio?
" And, lo, another band did appear whose name began with the letters ‘lo’. Having already reviewed Low, Loney Dear and Lonely Boy over the past month or so, I appear to have cornered the market in marketing this particular corner of the dictionary.
Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love - and I’m not typing it again no matter how good a name it is - hail from around Manchester but you’d never guess from their laidback American indie-folk sound. A plethora of great acts such as Iron and Wine, Elliott Smith and Scott Matthews creep in and out of your mind as you listen, thanks largely to singer Kelly Dyson’s thankfully non-grating transatlantic tones.
Accordingly then, it’s not an album of high thrills and singalong choruses but gentler pleasures and great ‘little’ moments, like on the exquisite Herman Dune-like Believer when the instruments drop down and Dyson croons “Why didn’t you tell me your real name; or take me to your real home?”
Much like the recent Low album, this record saves its biggest treats till the end. The title track sounds like Bjork’s The Anchor Song as re-imagined by Sufjan Stevens whilst Turn Of The Day could easily slip onto one of the remaining 48 US states albums that Stevens has yet to deliver. Dyson sounds uncannily like that other notable English yankophile, Steven Adams on Fear Of A Wide Open Life yet still slips in a woozy Scousedelic chorus for good measure.
‘Ends Of June’ is the sound of an English band not afraid to look to the USA for their inspiration, and it’s a happy wonder that it works quite this well. Any decent alphabetical collection should have it nestled next to Low forthwith. " - Sounds XP
"Brewing pure acoustic rock is an art form and not left up to the dumbasses of the leftovers from the anti-folk scene nor the lo-fi apartment rock junkies. That's precisely why Kelly Dyson was the man for the mission. Dyson along with others collaborated to forge an unforgiving and raw look deep inside to saturated emotional outbursts and seemed to achieve a bright and bellowing warm lo-fi apartment folk album that will last the test of time. Surprisingly breadth is one of the fortunes bestowed upon this young group of folk mischief." Editors Pick - Smother
"Gosh, what a band name, eh? Love it or hate it, dig this track for what it's worth. Sure, a lot of acts are trying to pull off this modern day, melodramatic folk sound, but Low Low Low... pull it off with a great sense of ease and delicacy. The vocal harmonies are spot-on and the lo-fi sound is ideal for a cloudy day accompanied with some deeply steeped tea" - 30 Music
"Guitarist and wounded soul Kelly Dyson leads a band of UK shufflers through a set of brooding lo-fi that could have used some bursts of energy here and there. Aside from the relatively upbeat "Iron in the Soul" (that a tune with that title is the "happy" track gives you some info), this record often crossed the line between eerie and whining. While "Happiness at the End of the Day" and "Black Black Window" are strong meditations that rise above the drear into some sublime resolve, other tracks are like "Fear Of A Wide Open Life," which amounts to a list of everything in the future one can possibly fear-age, injury, having to wake up in the morning.
There is depth and grandeur here, and not just in the fact that minor keys are employed. The band with the silly name does have a certain power, and confidence. Too often, though, those skills are buried in monotonous melody and self-pitying lyrics. Everyone loses their first lover, and even their second; embracing the crap shoot of love without looking back is nice too once in awhile." - Music Emissions
"low low low la la la love love love, or l9 as they shall thusly be known are the current evelutionary state of the bog standard folky duo of the band's debut album, now the group are now six strong and, well, more of a band. but what do you get for the radical change of line up? more of the same me thinks. thats a bit unfair really, although nothing is staggeringly spectacular the tracks on the new album are nice, low fidelity, charming-ish little folk songs, most of which are delivered in almost breaking three part harmonies. also, most of the tracks on end of june comprise of the same formula. its all rumbling acoustic guitars, twanging banjos, subtle high hats swept with brushes and the afore mentioned vocal stylings, all of which are common place on a million other albums that come from middle america. that is the only remarkable thing about l9, the fact for all their atlantic drawl, they actually come from manchester, with a sound totally unfitting with that city's musicality. tracks like the beck-like 'happiness at the new day' and the breezey 'the messy one' almost stand up to classic americana, but there 's just not enough magic to put them in the same league as the bands they imitate, albeit imitate very well. ends of june is a nice enough album that won't change anyone's lives, but then it won't damage them either." To hell with...
"Once you start listening to the second album from Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love (whose name is clearly designed to appeal to lazy journos with strict word counts to fulfil) you’d bet your house that it’s melancholy, drifting twangs were bourne out of a shared upbringing in the wastes of the American Midwest with nothing but a few Crosby Stills Nash and Young and Eagles records to get them through the long winter nights.
Quite how this music is pouring forth from a bunch of Mancunians is a mystery; if one thing is quite evident, it’s a total lack of inspiration from the likes of the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Joy Division and the Smiths, which is against the rules for a bunch of Mancs, no? Oh well, they’re probably all United fans too, just to rub it in, which is no way to go about winning the Mercury Music Prize.
Well perhaps; but writing a rather neat album of very laid back lo-fi countrified pop won’t do them any harm. It may be a tad downbeat for my tastes but it’s good enough to have scored them shows supporting the awesome Regina Spektor and a slot at the marvellous Green Man festival (which I’ll be at – if you’re in the band and see a drunken dreadlocked idiot shouting abuse at you while you’re onstage, it’ll be me).
Anyway, yes, in the final analysis “Ends Of June” doesn’t set my world on fire but demonstrates plenty enough qualities to suggest it will do so for many others, and enhance their reputation in the realm of nu-folk no end." - Subba-Cultcha
"You!
Yes, you!
Do you find modern pop records a bit too loud and exciting for your tastes? Do you crave for something that makes you feel immediately tepid and lifeless, delivered with all the urgency of a funeral cortege with nowhere to go?
Crave no more! Here we have 'Ends Of June' from Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love (or LLLLLLLLL for short - no matter which way you cut it, it's a hideous band name).
Look: here's the deal. If you want to hear the detailed account of a relationship breaking down recorded for less than the price of a King Size Mars Bar, then this should do you a treat. Vocalist Kelly Dyson has a pleasant voice (if a little in thrall to Elliott Smith), and you do find yourself perversely appreciating the steadfastly lo-fi production values the further in to the twelve tracks you trudge, but you really have to stick at it - there's precious little variation on the well worn 'politely strummed guitar, quiet drums and amiable harmonies' template to be heard. This may be fine and dandy if indeed you have been through a messy split with your (now ex) partner and wish to hear music to make you feel even more miserable, but some of us would frankly rather stick some Klaxons on and get our arses out of the bedroom and in to a nightclub for some dirty rebound sex.
Penultimate track 'Fear Of A Wide Open Life' is typical of the album, with Dyson whimpering that "I'm six years from thirty four/I'm three minutes from an ambulance/I'm a bus ride from anywhere/I'm forty winks from morning", and by the end of the song you too will feel like your life is one utterly monotonous, directionless dirge where you're counting off the seconds until you begin your new career pushing up daisies. Best hide that blister pack of paracetamol and the jar of Horlicks before you press 'play' on your stereo, then.
The whole album's one major success is making Peter, Bjorn and John sound like Gossip, yet it alt-folk is 'your bag' then this will no doubt make you slip off your chair with mild enthusiasm before you have to go and find a dimly-lit room in which to have a little lie down." - This is Fake DIY
Back to discography
