To date, Ryan Karazija has a had a long and successful career as a musician and singer, and his previous band, Audrye Sessions, enjoyed considerable success during the eight years it was active. Now, though, he's got a new project, Low Roar, and it's the product of his relocation from California to Iceland. As one might expect, this change of scenery brought on a whole new sound for Karazija, and his first, self-titled album under the new moniker, Low Roar, was met with a warm reception from both critics and fans alike, cementing his status as one of the premier creative minds in the indie and folk worlds in the process. The music collected millions of plays on the internet, and with such a great first effort, Ryan kept a lot of people impatiently waiting for his next full length project. As it turns out, that next project is finally here, and it comes in the form of an album called 0. There are thirteen tracks on the list, and each one is a gem in its own right. If you were already a fan of Low Roar's earlier work, then these are not only great tracks, but confirmation that he's still got it and not going anywhere anytime soon. The sophomore effort is always the hardest, but in all actuality, this isn't really a sophomore effort. Ryan has been around the block more than a few times, so 0 reeks of the type of confidence that only comes with years of experience. The album is new, and it's definitely fresh, but there's never a moment where the music feels like it got away from him, or where it sounds like he's in too deep. Each note and texture has been perfectly placed, and in those areas where he's let the song run its own course, the broad strokes of sound, and the rough-hewn production work cooperate in perfect harmony to create an atmosphere of quiet power that is hard to deny. 0 is predominantly folk music, but you can still pick up Ryan's indie roots in songs like "Easy Way Out" and "Nobody Loves Me Like You". His emphasis on the atmospheric elements of the music give the album a cold and spacious quality to it, and it would be reasonable to assume that the harsh, barren landscapes of his new homeland, Iceland, didn't play a factor when crafting songs like "Dreamer" and "Vampire On My Fridge". We've pulled a coupe of the key tracks for you to listen to now so you can get acquainted, but anybody who already knows what this guy is about knows that to not listen to the whole thing would be to miss out big time. That being said, start off with "I'll Keep Coming" and "Please Don't Stop (Chapter 1)". They're on opposite ends of the 0 sound spectrum, but they'll give you a good idea of where the rest of the project is headed, and you can rest assured that the rest of the tracklist fits somewhere in between these two, stylistically. At times, 0 moves at a snail's pace, and other times it soldiers on with a slow-burning energy that is painfully infectious, but every song contributes to the overall sound aesthetic of the album, and there really isn't a weak spot in the lineup. You're going to want to save 0 for those times when you just want to sit back and chill out for a bit by your self, since it's almost built for relaxation, and there's really nothing better out there right now if all you want to do is get lost in a world of beautiful music where the sounds implore you to close your eyes and let your immigration run wild. Pre-order 0 on iTunes.
Low Roar