Andy's Aural Advent: 12th Dec. Lower Dens - "To Die In L.A."

Around the release of Lower Dens’ 2012 album, Nootropics, lead singer Jana Hunter was referencing Kraftwerk’s Radioactivity, Fripp & Eno and Bowie’s production work for Iggy pop. These influences were detectable in electronic rock music that was admirably mean, moody and brainy, if often more interested in texture and atmosphere than tunes.

With the first single from their third full-length, Escape From Evil, Lower Dens seemingly moved from the late 70s into the 80s in search of new inspiration and a different tone: “To Die In L.A.”, despite its title, was surprisingly light on its feet, with dancing synth lines and an ascending sing-along chorus (“Time will turn the tide!”). It was all-inclusive in a way their music hadn't been previously – as if the band had observed the commercial and critical love that greeted Future Islands’ open-hearted brand of art-pop and thought “we could do that”. It suited them.