Low Level Owl, Vol. 1 is a concept album in a way. It's more like a classical symphony than anything else. Instead of individual songs, there are movements. Each movement is linked to the next with electronic induced loops, echoes, and instrumentals (many with piano). This is only the first volume, there is a second that follows up where this leaves off, and the whole project is over two hours in length. This is a great listen on a long drive or a leisurely afternoon. It's not a "quick throw in the CD for some tunes" deal; to pick up on what's going on and to enjoy it, you need to set aside some time. With that in mind it's a pretty cool concept. This is less an album than it is an exploration of art and music. My favorite movement is "Blind Man's Arrows" which has a lot of dynamics and goes beyond a lot of your typical pigeonholed emo sound. The whole project is something special and is less a "sound" than it is good and creative music. I can't wait to hear Vol. 2.
B+
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Andy ArgyrakisIt's hard to pinpoint a group that can glaze over different musical plains, yet make all of their sounds, as unorthodox as they may be, seem like they fit together. The Appleseed Cast's latest can best be summarized as a melancholy sequence of stunning orchestrations and breathtaking crescendos. They start out with an emo base, but instead of calculating their sounds around that style, the group…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Ken MuellerLow Level Owl: Volume 1 is the first of two recordings to be released by The Appleseed Cast this year, with Volume 2 coming in the fall. Both discs were recorded at the same time, and Volume 1 shows that one of the top bands in the emo genre is continuing to grow and expand their horizons. Not content to rest on their laurels, the band has added more keyboards, more experimentation, more studio…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Bert GanglLow Level Owl: Volume I, the third full-length project from the Appleseed Cast, is the first of two entries in a 26-song set from the Lawrence, Kansas-based quartet, with the second volume slated for release in late October of 2001. Like The End of the Ring Wars and Mare Vitalis before it, the latest effort falls broadly into the emo/dream pop section of the modern rock panorama. But where Ring…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Olin JenkinsThe last time I saw Appleseed Cast in concert, this emo band was very loud, and as I remember them then, holding lots of hope for the world. With Low Level Owl: (Volume 1), Appleseed Cast is almost musically and lyrically subdued. If you like the style of The Juliana Theory at a more sombre sound level, you may enjoy this project. Then again, the lyrics may have you guessing again. Low Level Owl…Similar sounding releases
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