Lowah - Night of Rewind

Lowah

Night of Rewind
self-released; 2016

4.0 out of 5

By William Morrow
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Listening to Night of Rewind, the most recent release from Lowah, a solo project lead by Vince Simpson based out of Brooklyn, New York, I was immediately transported to a vividly emotional past. This interesting album deploys aspects of R & B, electronic and indie, and does so under a playfully seductive guise which is sure to be enjoyable to just about any listener. The combination of warm, heavy synths and bass-barren vocals lends itself to a pensively nostalgic listening experience. 

Night of Rewind begins with a pulsing, retro-sounding synth which is soon accompanied by a flirtatious beat that matches the moods of the various synths surrounding it very well. Simpson’s voice, on the other hand, contrasts the timbres of the instrumentation thoroughly, as it is high-pitched, and cuts through the underlying instrumentation like a knife through butter.

However, I think the vocals work very well with the song— despite their lack of bottom end, they are smooth and full. The melody is very nice, and the pitch is spot-on. I got a very Justin Timberlake-esque vibe from Simpson’s voice and delivery, which is obviously positive given the style of music.

My personal favorite song on the album titled “Endless” reminded me of The Weeknd vocally, as it drifts between a soulful, passionate vocal delivery and a coy, skittish elocution. The song, despite its contrasting parts, is very cohesive. I feel like this tune is the most full-sounding piece of work on the album, which leads into my only complaint: I often found myself seeking more out of the production. At times, the instrumentation didn't feel quite full; however with that being said, I found all of the individual parts to be very good musically. I just feel like some added layers and sounds out of the instrumentation would provide Simpson’s voice what it truly needs in order to convey itself to its full potential. This is a minor complaint, and easy fix, as it lies predominately in mixing.

​Overall, I would say that this is a very solid release, and would appeal most to those who enjoy groovy, passionate music that falls on the darker side. Although this release was easy to listen to, it is important to note that the album itself and the themes that it possesses are pretty heartfelt, and, although there is some silver lining found within some of the lyrics, the subject matter reeks of a romanticized past, all to look back and see life for what it truly turns out to be.

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