One Track Mind

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As the main progenitor of the lo-fi movement and as a member of some of the most influential college radio bands of the 1980s and ’90s, Lou Barlow is an artist whose place in the pantheon of indie music luminaries is more than secure. In 1984, Barlow and J Mascis co-founded Dinosaur Jr., releasing three records together before heated personality conflicts saw Barlow booted from the lineup. After his departure, Barlow began his work under the Sebadoh name, whose early records helped define the lo-fi aesthetic that shaped the music of a multitude of followers. Not content with having founded two of the most seminal bands of the indie rock genre, Barlow also released albums under the Sentridoh moniker and had a surprise hit in 1994 as The Folk Implosion. In 2005, he reunited with his old bandmates in Dinosaur Jr., with whom he has since released two new albums and logged some considerable tour miles.

All of which brings Barlow to October 6th, when he will release Goodnight Unknown on Merge Records, his second “solo” album (although it features plenty of other players including Imaad Wasif and Lisa Germano) following 2005′s Emoh .

“Gravitate” is the LP’s seventh track and begins quietly with Barlow’s trademark hypnotic, multi-tracked vocals and some rusty guitar strings. At the chorus, Barlow constructs a ramshackle, half-time groove with a spacious, simple drum rhythm (provided by Dale Crover and Murph), some rumbling synthesizers, and what sounds like a melodica or accordion bellowing deep bass notes. Slathered with a dark, gloomy aura, “Gravitate” manages to construct considerable ambience given its tight two and a half minute run time. As with his more lo-fi endeavors, on “Gravitate” the feeling the composition engenders is just as important as the more practical concerns of harmony or tempo. With Goodnight Unknown, Barlow proves yet again that he could be surrounded by just about any group of musicians and likely create something intense and enjoyable.