LOW RED MOON - Compañeros
"Compañeros" is the debut release from Low Red Moon, a local collective who describe themselves as "psy-fi Americana". If you've come here hoping to understand what that means, I'm not sure I can help you. Their mysterious world is akin to being in a David Lynch film and despite attending more gigs by them than any other band over the past few years, I am still baffled by their very existence. They are a constantly evolving entity, in both sound and physical manifestation. It started as a live solo project for Texan Brummie Kaytee Thompson-DeWolfe, formerly of Bi-Polar Baby and The Dark Retreat, and she soon recruited a second guitarist. After toying with names such as The Great Giraffe Conspiracy, they settled on Low Red Moon (after a song from Belly's classic debut album) and the band expanded to include bass and drums. Over the next three years the band started to resemble a religious cult with members being assimilated into the ranks without a full understanding of what they were committing themselves to. There can now be anything up to eight people on stage. It's alleged that even your humble reviewer has taken part in a private performance, playing an arcane instrument known as a flexatone, but thankfully no footage of this exists.
The rate of membership growth is such that I'm not certain of the full list of contributors to the album. I believe that alongside Kaytee it features Olly Pilsworth, Andrew Wilson, Paris Moon Fennell, Beth Walsh, Angela Cross, Gary Charles and Sean Thompson-DeWolfe. However Paris has now been replaced by Faisal Rashid on bass for live shows.
The musical style is impossible to describe as it takes in so many influences. The driving guitar is, not surprisingly, reminiscent of Belly but lead single "Fluid" has a pulsing krautrock beat distinct from anything else on the album. Elsewhere there are subtle hints of flute that hark back to Birmingham's classic "we brought our friends" scene of the late '90s and spaghetti western guitar permeates many of the tracks. "Full Wolf Moon" features spoken word from local poet Sean Thompson-DeWolfe, who often opens their live shows with his heartfelt rants on modern life.
The lyrics are suitably oblique, the kind I like best as you can easily apply them to your own situation, but the moon is a common reference and there is a prominent theme of nature throughout. This is no doubt inspired by Kaytee's upbringing on a Navajo reservation. Wolves, mockingbirds and magpies all make an appearance in the songs. Owls and other creatures can be seen in the cover art and in Kaytee's paintings, which can be found in many bars and venues around the city. If you pay close attention at their live shows, you might spot penguins and even giraffes lurking in the fringes.
The album closes with "Doldrums", which encompasses several different styles and slowly mutates in the same way the band themselves have. It starts with gentle guitar and Mazzy Star-like vocals but after seven minutes it has become a prog workout including spooky theremin effects. I see the manifold elements on offer here as a representation of our city's musical diversity. While cities such as Liverpool and Manchester are known for having their own sound, Birmingham has never been defined by one "scene". This makes me feel grateful for the wide range of talent and experimental leanings that surround us.
"Compañeros" is available to download on Bandcamp now, with a vinyl release coming later in the year.
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