Lowtide – Southern Mind

Dream Pop

81%

One thing is for sure, you can’t accuse Lowtide of falling victim to the second album curse. The Melbourne based dream pop outfit are on fine form with this record, delivering more hazy soundscapes that just seem to fill the whole room and make time stand still. This is the kind of record that leaves you feeling like you’re adrift in zero gravity, the kind that you sit down to listen to and before you know it half the day has drifted by while you’ve been lost in the reverie. If someone needed a textbook definition of the dream pop/shoegaze sound, then this is the purest example you could ever hope to find, capturing all the aspects which make the genre so mesmerising.

Southern Mind is a more consistent album overall than their eponymous debut, although it doesn’t quite reach the same heights. The new record still has its share of highlights though; the lead single ‘Alibi’ is bright and uplifting, while the short but sweet interlude ‘Olinda’ continues Lowtide’s love affair with creating standout instrumental tracks. I wouldn’t go so far to say that Southern Mind is a refinement of their sound, more like a bit of a dust off and a tidy, but it does feel more a tad more accessible and engaging. I do hope however that the band keep moving in that direction, and gradually keep adding more pop sensibilities and memorable melodies into the mix until they get the formula just right. If they can pull that off they could make an appearance in a best of the year list one day soon.