Lower Dens

There are bands who arrive fully formed and there are those who take a little while to find their footing. Sometimes all it takes is one song. In the case of Baltimore’s Lower Dens, who are fronted by onetime folk eccentric Jana Hunter, that track was “Brains”.

 

[youtubehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyxzjF8IjE8[/youtube]

 

Released in advance of this record, the single added krautrock and electronic touches to the group’s signature guitar swirl and suggested a new dimension and a new confidence. Everything hit with more impact: the drumming was crisper, Hunter’s singing was richer and more evocative, and there was an extra layer of prettiness, but also menace. The message seemed to be, “Here’s a band you can’t ignore anymore.”