We’ve covered Alexander Hawthorne’s project Slows Down once before here at WTD, when we really enjoyed his self-titled EP. Saying:
“Quite incredibly considering the lush and layered sound, [Slows Down EP] is an entirely solo effort. Taking inspiration from a wide range of luminaries including Swans, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Radiohead, [Hawthorne] uses a diversity of techniques, from humming, moaning drones to spiky, cathartic crescendos and a dash of psychedelic hypnotism. But despite the expansive instrumentation,things never stray too far from the refined, minimalist values, the glowing core at the centre of all the tumult and noise.”
Now Hawthorne has released a second EP which sees a return of his dense and layered brand of home-recorded dream/chamber pop. The whole things feels big and monochrome from the very beginning with ‘Wall’, a droning instrumental which sets the atmosphere for what’s to come. The second track, single ‘I’m Not Inside Your Heart,’ introduces Hawthorne’s vocals and is a song which fuses the dream pop of acts such as Beach House with a darker, post-punk edge.
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‘I Don’t Know’ sounds almost like a skewed country-rock song from a bad dream, all martial percussion and slashed, squawked electric guitar. ‘Machine’ closes proceedings another heavy and foreboding instrumental built on thick swirls of feedback and shadowy winding guitars. All in all EP2 is an evocative, agitated listen, a thunderhead dream dark and ripe and ready to burst.
You can get the EP on a name-you-price basis via the Slows Down Bandcamp page.