“Soothing rather than annoying.” That’s the description of what it means to be a ‘Low Hummer.’ In the Hull sixpiece’s thunderous and captivating debut, this couldn’t be any more contradictory for they are neither of these things.
The post-Brexit, post-punk revival in the UK has produced iterations of politically charged artists calling for social change. Low Hummer do more than merely call out on their debut, they vociferate, spitting feelings about growing up and living in the margins of society. In Modern Tricks for Living, the self-dubbed “skint Northerners” unashamedly convey their discontent with modern British society, battling between issues of social inequality, isolation, and a generational overindulgence in new technologies.
This pioneering review in my ‘Unearthing Albums’ series is the first of many that explores and exposes recent albums that went under the radar by upcoming artists. What makes Modern Tricks for Living so memorable is its’ dramatic yet seamless shifts from ranting post-punk to reflective 80s dreampop that culminate in an absorbing second half of the album.
Opening with ‘Take Arms’ is Low Hummer’s way of slapping you in the face sonically and lyrically, something listeners must become attuned to in the following two songs. Their debut single ‘Don’t You Ever Sleep’ alongside the opener and ‘I Choose Live News’ barrages eardrums with mouthy protests from Dan Mawer, alike to Mike Skinner and a 2006 Alex Turner. Three songs in and their intentions are visible: buzzing between the explicit demand to “take arms” against “all the Northerns pretending to be Southern,” and the intelligent verses reminiscent of Sports Team or Blur’s wit, for instance “clamber on another train, the same delays as yesterday.” It’s loud and pessimistic with a sprinkling of satire, reflective of Low Hummer’s desperation for reform.
By this point, as well as needing a breather, you begin to wonder if their debut is simply ten bruising post-punk songs. Instantaneously, these preconceptions are undermined with ‘Never Enough,’ one of the standout tracks that glides along with tendencies of The Cure and features Aimee Duncan’s gorgeous vocals. Funnily enough, the 80s band do have a song titled ‘Never Enough,’ but Low Hummer’s adaptation sounds more like something off Disintegration, urging their character to “take control” of themselves in a period of geographical and generational isolation. The reality is though for those living in the margins of society that this desperate lunge for liberation falls short, leaving the protagonist “culture bound, alone.” It’s an empathetic sentiment for all young listeners also feeling neglected by recent governments.
‘Sometimes I Wish (I Was a Different Person)’ again challenges expectations, with an electro-infused intro similar to LCD Soundsystem before punk resurfaces in the first verse. And then the final four tracks come along. To say this is a bottom-heavy album is an understatement.
Once again we re-enter the realm of Disintegration, with Duncan’s harmonies bouncing off the dazzling synths and guitars generating a euphoric chorus in ‘Human Behaviour.’ Another impressive attribute on display here is that all six members equally get their moment in the spotlight, reflected in the second half of the album where there’s not only a cacophony of sounds that tease different genres, but Duncan’s soft tones engrossingly compliment Mawer’s grittiness.
‘I Tell You What’ continues this trend, with hypnotic guitars cut off in the chorus by disjointed yet compelling grungy sounds evoking a complete transformation in tempo.
This is before ‘Commercials’ scrutinises the culture of advertising in a social media age, possibly the best song thematically on the record. As its’ title indicates, Mawer opens with a propagandistic statement: “welcome to the new age, there’s no need to be afraid,” manipulating listeners into a commercialised world. Then Duncan, driven on by gusty power-chords fights back against the system, begging to “let it go for once in your life.” The stark contrast in vocal styles are at their most prolific here, competing against each other lyrically and sonically to form a brilliant penultimate track.
To round off an outstanding last four songs, ‘The People, This Place’ returns to fast-paced post-punk observed in the opening moments of the album, with this cyclical structure imitating the monotony of modern-day living. Despite a psychedelic and triumphant bridge momentarily revealing a new sound comparable to a Tame Impala outro, this is a transient moment of optimism, and listeners soon return to the repeated “keep breathing” before the album closes with a biting statement: you are “stressed till your dead.”
It is a pessimistic album that does not provide any “Tricks for Living.” But isn’t that the point of the new wave of British post-punk: defining a generation of lost and forgotten youths? If Pulp’s Different Class conjured hope for the future, then Modern Tricks for Living is one of many albums fed up of a society and government that looks backwards rather than forwards, and where music and the arts are continually disparaged.
Low Hummer release their sophomore effort in 2023. I hope their thematic ideas and their ability to amalgamate dreampop and punk remains.
However, their debut is very in your face, potentially too much so. Lyrically they couldn’t be blunter, literally chanting “take arms” in the very first song and declaring “I guess Orwell was right” in ‘Commercials.’ The upcomers do lack subtlety. Sam Fender doesn’t tirade but combines nostalgic storytelling and anger to greater effect when engaging in politcal dialogues. Fellow post-punkers Fontaines DC are more metaphorical and sensitive when analysing British and Irish society. Low Hummer could occasionally include a metaphor or two.
Yet their debut remains an underappreciated gem which is highly recommended to those interested in all things 80s and post-punk, with a versatile selection to dig your teeth into.
Ben Cole
23/1/2023
