Lower Dens: Hospice Gates
It’s been a little while since we last heard from Jana Hunter, so it is great to hear that she is back to recording again, this time with a new full band called Lower Dens. While the new band’s material is a far cry from pop, compared to Hunter’s bleak, discordant, anti-folk it is definitely a step in a new direction. In the first single, “Hospice Gates,” Hunter’s vocals sound downright melodic, even if they are still as distorted and fuzzed out as ever. The addition of a backing band also gives the tune a much more structured, post punk sound. The drum rhythm is remarkably conventional (for a Jana Hunter project), even as the guitars cut big fuzzy swaths out of the song’s fabric. While the old Jana Hunter weirdness is still there, the baby steps towards accessibility definitely make a huge difference in crafting an exceptional sound. Lower Hand’s debut Twin Hand Movement will be available on July 20th via Gnomonsong, and should definitely be worth checking out. While the new sound may be less chaotic, Hunter and company have promised a record “rife with the survivalist paranoia…crafted methodically and beautifully [to] carry you enthusiastically out into the rolling breaks of industrial filth-water.” Now that sounds more like the Jana Hunter I remember.
Lower Dens: Myspace
— Jon Behm
