Low Hummer have crafted a pitch-perfect power-pop tune for a world in disarray, one that signposts confidence for their eventual debut album

Although I've always grouped in Low Hummer with bands like Life, The Blinders, and Egyptian Blue, I've always felt it was a lazy comparison and it never quite fit. I've come to realise the more apt grouping would be with bands such as Last of The Wonder Kids, Talk Boy, and Sports Team. This is not to say that Low Hummer is incompatible with the previous list (which take their primary musical queues from post-punk bands such as The Fall, Television, and The Modern Lovers) but their influences have always seemed more contemporary, more specifically the post-punk revival of the early 2000s. Low Hummer have more political spirit running through their veins than the second list of comparisons, but the end product is seeping with much more pop appreciation than the first group.

Low Hummer has been on my radar since before they even officially formed, a newly formed project from The Skint Northerner (ex-La Bête Blooms frontman) himself, Daniel Mawer. Their previous singles have shown plenty of promise, with pristine production, bundles of voltage, and some rather welcomed back and forth vocals between Daniel Mawer and Aimée Duncan. Picture Bliss very much continues down the same trajectory and is by virtue of such, is very much welcomed by The Blowdown Team.

Picture Bliss is structured with the tried and tested quiet-loud dynamic - its success feels familiar enough for satisfaction when the chorus pops, but in no means does it sound derivative or overused - and clocks out of work in a speedy 3 minutes. The tension and release of the pre-chorus is some masterful flavor presented from the band, with muted industrial guitar, littered with feedback, exploding into some thick fuzz filled chugs. Dan and Aimée's voices are absolutely dripping with either a high pass filter or a fuzz type effect - which I admit could be toned down a little as it oversaturates the production a little too much - and postulates a very nostalgic nod to the early 2000s in regards to vocal delivery (think The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand and The Hives). A nice unexpected highlight of the track was the two bar guitar solo which pushed this melted tremolo guitar sound through the speakers. It's an utterly disgusting tone but in all the best of ways. This contrasts with great effect from the very low-end heavy mix we had gotten for the rest of the track. This being said, the mix certainly doesn't need to be busier to fill out the midrange of the spectrum, especially during the choruses, as it is thick and beefy enough.

Make no mistake, Picture Bliss, no matter how much conviction it has to being a fuzz driven power-pop tune, does tip its toe in the political so it's worth unpacking some of what Low Hummer have laid on the table for us. Although I would prefer for the lyrical content to be more poignant and critically reflective, I appreciate and understand its anthemic quality. Low Hummer presents us with a story, or so my first theory goes, of two lovers attempting to get into second gear before been disrupted by an apocalyptic event (or more likely, a pandemic). The use of separating the subject matter in the lines in the first verse may be indicating that at first the disruptive event and the love is, at this point, not interwoven. "the world won't be the same, it’s filled with hate, it’s filled with pain/I don’t even know your name, pick a time, and a place, and I’ll stay all-day" and "the world is going up in flames, and I promise you we can only lose/I don’t recognise your face, and I know that you feel it too". This is later emphasised by the chorus "I wanted us to get things started". Then in the second verse, we are presented with both subject matters intertwining and fulfilling the story of disrupted love. According to my second theory, the one I think is most likely, is that the second subject matter is not a loved one, but the government instructing us to stay home. This is further cemented by the pre-chorus "Well we think we’ve got it made but we only know the half of it./You always thought that you were right but you’ve been wrong all of the time". I moreover believe, that the chorus "I wanted us to get things started" is a reflection of the disruption caused to the band's own schedule. Finally, during the breakdown of the song, Aimée repeats the lines "Picture bliss, picture this, when all our words have lost their words" which is a searing encapsulation of the world at the moment and worthy of noteworthy praise.

I'm excited for an album from Low Hummer, and even more so to hear them expand on a song's depth when it doesn't have the pressure of being a single and can quite happily remain as a deep cut. I also think with some real planning in terms of pacing the album correctly, Low Hummer can deliver an absolutely blistering, exciting and cohesive debut album. Finally, I would love to see more synth work they displayed in previous singles, as the texture that creates is much welcomed.

Overall, Low Hummer have crafted a pitch-perfect summer power-pop tune for a world in disarray and with the right amount of luck, I could see this song really striking a chord and taking them up a gear. Let's hope things calm down soon enough so we can enjoy it in a live format. If not, I highly recommend this single and if for any reason Low Hummer isn't on your radar then that needs to change quickly.

4/5

For fans of: Life, Last of the Wonder Kids and Talk Boy.

Listen to the song on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/track/5vNiw39JVtouVV5I6RgdQP?si=9iLDH5OwQz27pUujFJ00ng

Find Low Hummer on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lowhummer/

• Written by Joshua Ingham.