You plug away for ages, gigging relentlessly and striving for that elusive record deal and then lo and behold it's offered to you on a plate. Your first single gets widespread acclaim, you start selling out your shows. There's a little gap before your second single comes out, you secure support slots with some big name acts and the future looks very bright indeed. That is until nobody seems to care anymore. Nightmare!
This must be a familiar tale to the four men who comprise Lowgold, a band for whom success once seemed assured. By the time 'Beauty Dies Young' hit the shops the high praise that greeted their debut release, 'In Amber', had all but dissolved as press and public attention was diverted elsewhere. And so their debut album has dribbled out without so much as a damp, slightly muffled party popper going off. Which is a bit of a shame but at the same time relatively understandable after listening to 'Just Backward of Square'.
Live, Lowgold have the power to make their melodic take on American infused, harmonic rock sound epic, fraught and at times thoroughly majestic. But these recordings which do just about manage to hit such peaks on occasion often fall a little flat. The aforementioned singles stand out amongst the pack with their expansive, far reaching melodies and Darren Ford's heartfelt vocals but latest single 'Mercury' is a far more dour affair. In it's live form the track is raised to great heights but here it sounds dull and uninspired making you want to slap the lad with a wet kipper and tell him to cheer up a bit. 'Counterfeit' is simply indie stodge, 'Open The Airwaves' limps along weakly and 'Into The Void' is hardly a fitting finale.
Having said this, when they're good it makes you wonder how on earth there could be so many hiccups along the way. 'Back Here Again' is a gentle country tinged beauty complete with Teenage Fanclub harmonies and some tender guitars which breathe warmth through the speakers. 'Never Alone' follows suit with its understated melancholic feel and 'Less I Offer' is a genuinely touching experience which would make for a far better finish to the album.
Lowgold certainly have the potential to become a force to be reckoned with and could once again grab the attention of press and public alike if they can capture their live sound. However this their debut effort features one too many lows and not quite enough gold. Better luck next time.
