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Not many events could entice a non-pious type like myself to schlep from New Jersey to Greenpoint, Brooklyn on a bone-chilling, sub-20° night to hang out in a church. But a rare, one-off Northeast appearance by this superb new San Francisco ethereal band is one of them. Along with 30 other devout fans, I settled into my creaky pew, eagerly anticipating selections from the group’s excellent 2013 debut For Those Who Wish to See the Glass Half Full. However, Slowness – or rather, its two founders Geoffrey Scott and Julie Lynn, performing as a duo – had other ideas. Instead of older material, they opted to preview their upcoming sophomore album, which had just been completed that very afternoon, in its entirety. And with regular drummer Scott Putnam absent, Half Full’s driving dreampop was jettisoned for a more hushed, relaxed regimen.
Dave Voigt, Geoffrey Scott, Julie Lynn
Scott compensated for the reduced volume levels by enhancing his breathy vocals and lightly strummed electric/acoustic with soothing effects. At the same time, Lynn countered with quietly hovering, droney keyboard flourishes and songbird-soft harmonies. A few East coast dwellers who contributed to the new LP even joined in: Dave Voigt (who helped engineer the album) and Luna’s Sean Eden provided ancillary guitar touches, while Mold/Rat Wakes Red/Kansas State Flower’s Christy Davis’s drumming perked up the final two songs. With occasional repeated verses digging into your subconscious (like the fourth track, “Know it All”), and backing music that “ascended” through the rafters, Slowness’s set of unfamiliar tunes felt hypnotic and resonant.
Catskills, NY headliner Two Dark Birds followed with their laid back, Scud Mountain Boys-like Americana and canyon-rock/folk. The five-piece took advantage of the spacious room’s natural acoustics (especially on a few longer jams) with a fuller-band sound that included piano and lap steel. To close out their set, Scott and Lynn were enlisted for a cover of Joy Division’s 1979 single “Transmission,” done so low-key that it took me a few seconds to recognize!
