Search - Appleseed Cast :: Low Level Owl: Volume 1

High Level Musicianship

S. Alix | NYC | 08/29/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Music is an Art Form. Today with popular music becoming more brainless by the second sometimes we forget that instruments can evoke more from us other then wanting to dance or sing ... to meaningless lyrics and cookie cutter melodies. The world of EMO music trascends these trivial things and evolves into a complex world of beauty and chaos mixed into the strums and thumps of guitars and drums. A world where the lead vocals are not a distraction or addition, they themselves are also just another instrument playing with the band, never intruding, always complimenting and adding to the richness of the melody.
This is where Low Level Owl Volume 1 fits into the spectrum. It is uncomparable to their previous works simply becauses they are never the same band twice. End of the Ring Wars was a much more darker record that was built on hurting lyrics and frustrating melodies that evoked anger and lost love. A simple saxaphone hummed along with two tracks to remind that love can be true. Mare Vitalis was a more uplifting record in sound, and the lyrics evoked such a love for life, mainly in the ocean, in sea animals, in a journey from mainland to mainland across luscious rivers and lakes. With Low Level Owl the theme is much more ambigous but the clean white surface of the record and the single Owl feather laying on the cover is so subtle but it seems to show such an experimental theme thats clean cut and intricate. Like a white doctors office where everything is sterile and clean. This record is VERY experimental, with 6 of the 14 tracks being instrumentals that vary from a wind chime one to a hazy static one. To a traditional drug and guitar one at the end that goes for 8 minutes straight. This record has eye widening melodies and the lyrics are so carefully orchestrated, making sure never to intrude or be insufficient. Everything was given such a loving touch and it is felt througout the record.
When you hear a instrumental move seamlessly into the next track you just smile and how awesome it was. THe druming in this album is much more stand alone on some tracks creating such a great appreciation for every single instrument being played wether keyboard, bass, guitar, drums, or vocals. Track 12 (a Tree for Trials) is such a tease lasting only for two minutes but you are sent so deep into it's simple melody but so haunted by it. The sound of leaves take you into the last few tracks, or is it rain? Its nature, its alive. Its an Owl swooping down with its beautiful wings and huge eyes looking into you. The final song on the record (13)Signal, (14 is an Instrumental) will send chill's down your spine as Chris sings "someday the sun will fall down" and you honest to God believe him but it just seems OK if it did. I give great applause to these Musicians who have returned Music to what it should be.
I heard Volume 2 is even better......whoa....
~=)"

I am lost in the albumverse

facemanmvp | The farm | 11/22/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The way I see it, these guys were trapped in the world's greatest studio and got so bored, they decided to spend every waking moment on perfecting the tiniest, most minor sounds. I mean, this is just unreal. So meticulosly crafted, you'd have thought they sewed together the audio track it on which all this was recorded. This isn't saying it's an ambient soundscape. The tunes are coherent, and some stand on their own. Even "Birds of Paradise," which is repetitive, is captivating. If someone were to make a movie to go along with this album, which it seems to demand, I would watch it, like, a lot. Not enough people are going to hear this album."

Their best album

J A W | Norman, OK United States | 07/10/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"And one of the best modern rock albums of the past 10 years. This album is more ethereal, angelic than their previous albums, and this plays to Appleseed Cast's strengths, which is the interplay between the vocal line(s) and the guitars' high tone arpeggios. A good example of the band's instrumental chemistry, quite literally, considering the # of instrumentals on the album. I think this approach--dropping in instrumentals every couple of tracks (Birds of Paradise probably being my favorite)--helped to focus the band's musicianship of the album. No, it's not Johann Sebastian Bach, but it doesn't have to be, it's rock music. The songs seem continuous and connected, yet there is a surprising amount of deviation amongst the songs. It is an *album*, yet individual songs like On Reflection, Sentence, and Blind Man's Arrow do stake out their own territory. On Reflection, the first "song", can only be described as the first "ambient", "shoe gazer" epic, and that is followed by Blind man's Arrow, a dark change of pace that is, guitar-opening wise, almost Rush-esque w/ a minor intonation. Mile Marker is also a sweet song w/ an addictive guitar riff. Why music like this can't find radio popularity while garbage like Limp Bizkit is shoved in our faces every two nanoseconds is beyond me. Buy these two LLO albums. DO IT NOW."