The Underground of Happiness

An edgy synth arpeggio, woolly pitter patter bass and a genuine female croon. There’s a very 80s feel, presumably deliberate, perhaps to call up the paranoia and disenchantment of that decade. And despite the singalong chorus with a wash of comforting harmonies to soften the blow, there’s plenty of that here. Time will turn the tide It’s a far cry from the motorik insistence of the last album but in its own way just as insidiously intriguing and catchy as fuck.

The lead track, Brains , from the new Lower Dens album, Nootropics (which I'm sure you know by now is pronounced No-eh-tropics), has been everpresent on the UOH playlist since the end of January. It's an unassuming krautrock monster of a tune. And the video is available now. More of a filmic interpretation really, directed by the award-winning Tristan Patterson , where each minute twitch in the musical arrangement has a visual shadow. So the entry of the hi-hat on 45s prompts a rhythmic shiver around the inscrutable Jana Hunter's face. It's ingenious really. I recommend you click here this minute. Tour dates are to be announced around album release time (end of April), including in Ireland apparently, so stay tuned.