Paul Bardsley, otherwise known as Low River, has the kind of musical DNA that’ll win any reader of this blog over. Bardsley’s voice recalls a young Mike Ness while his heavy strum and strident lyrics evoke Frank Turner. But Bardsley throws in a pop twist that separates him from an otherwise crowded field. It gives the songs a levity that might otherwise be dragged down by the blues undertow.
There are aspects of this album that are fairly unpolished, but it makes me want to see what Bardsley will do once he’s ready to take the next step. For my money, “Longest Goodbye” and “In Time” are the standouts on New Mothers — Low River flows best when he merges with other voices, and these songs serve as the two best examples of that.
Low River — Official, Facebook, Stream on Soundcloud