Lower Ground - ​True Intent

Lower Ground 

​True Intent
self-released; 2016

3.5 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Tyler Hull is the one-man pop punk band Lower Ground. He recently released a four-song EP entitled True Intent which adheres to the basic criteria you come to expect from pop punk including a nasally singing voice that feels tailor made for teenage fans and distorted power chords. Suffice it to say if you are a fan of the  genre you will enjoy the album but if you never came around there is nothing here that will make you have a change of heart.

The EP starts with “Selective Attention” which is a solid song. I was enjoying the song but the one gripe I have is the drumming. The bass drum is so audible in the mix it takes away from every other element. I couldn’t focus on anything else. On top of that the bass drum hits so many times per measure it seems over the rop. The expression “less is more” could definitely be applied here. Other then that the guitar and vocals are well done. There were some inventive guitar parts along the way.

“Gone” is arguably the most single worthy song of the four. It deals with the ubiquitous topic of young love. Hull sings, “We both know I never cling to you / That’s why I'm so confused / There’s really no excuse / Don’t blink or you'll miss me when I forget about us and all we had.”

“Head Change” has its moments but again the drums are so overpowering in the mix it was harder to appreciate the other elements. The lyrics are optimistic revolving around changing your frame of mind and there are some unique guitar parts towards the end of the song you won’t want to miss.

He closes with a highlight entitled “Follow Through.” The song is tight from beginning to end and the drumming is a little more subtle in this song. Hull delivers a number of notable vocal harmonies and ends on a strong note.

​True Intent isn’t perfect and the advice I would give to Hull is to try and start working with a drummer at some point. Other than that he is on a solid trajectory and expect more quality material from him in the not too distant future.

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