Brenna Lowrie/Wet Cigarette
Brenna Lowrie
Loss Leader // Independent
On the new EP Loss Leader, Lethbridge multi instrumentalist and vocalist Brenna Lowrie invites the listener to explore the meaning of letting go. Lowrie’s warm vocals and the pluck of her guitar strings resonate throughout the EP’s six tracks while the softly sung lyrics present her perspective at the time of recording. Loss Leader was performed and recorded while the songs were written by Lowrie between 2019 and 2020. This method of freely moving between inspiration and recording is echoed in the raw, natural sound of the production.
Lowrie’s finger-picked guitar arpeggios on opening track “Skin” provide a steady forward momentum that allows for her enchanting vocal to weave through the pulsing rhythm, sonically demonstrating that letting go requires you to move forward. At times, her vocal delivery is reminiscent of Alanis Morissette at her most relaxed and poised - and like Morissette, the track finds Lowrie sharing wisdom and growth in a poetic manner: “we’ve learned things are seldom what they seem, in the ashes of burned things I lay me down to dream...skin, sinew, and a halo of gold, none win, you were too shaky to hold, I let you go, you’ll let me go, you’ll let it go, we’re letting go”. The subtle ritardando to close the song provides a brief moment of resolution before continuing into the short and beautiful “After Dark” where Lowrie reflects further on impermanence. After gently beginning with just a vocal, guitar and strings floating in the background, a haunting harmony appears to frame a final thought: “just sit and ponder, you’ll never know how you’ll go under, or when you’ll finally go home...”. The song concludes with a single guitar strum and a very Feist like “da, da, da, da, da, da”. It is evident that Lowrie has been influenced by strong voices that have come before her, but the influence extends further than just appearing in a few of her stylistic choices. Like those aforementioned influences, Lowrie can be tender in her songwriting approach, while still diving deeply into the depths of her psyche and power.
The EP’s closing track, “Little Birds”, finds Lowrie at her most expressive, recognizing that grieving is essential to letting go, otherwise one runs the risk of losing faith in themself: “I fall behind when I just can’t grieve, then I find that I’m someone I don’t care to believe”. But the EP does not end with Lowrie concluding there is no hope for the future, instead she continues singing “Dare to believe!”. This clever connection between the final song and a psychedelic instruction provided a few tracks earlier on “Trapped on the Ground” reminds us to continue to let go so that we can make way for “...the magic...the objective mystery... the love... [and] the internal drives” that keep us all moving forward.
- Greg Torwalt
Wet Cigarette
Uncut // Independent
You’re standing outside the venue, having just wandered outside for some fresh air after a rowdy performance by an equally rowdy band. The bouncer isn’t letting people back in because the venue is at capacity (or maybe because keeping a line-up outside looks good). You take a drag from a friend’s cigarette, but the filter is wet and feels like a nicotine-sponge against your lips. Wet Cigarette.
When reviewing any album, it’s important to consider not just the music but the album art and song titles as well. The artist put the package together, I signed for it, and now I sift through its contents. I’m mostly curious about why the Cigarette is Wet, and what is it Wet With? The album cover shows a waterlogged dart, ripped open (“UNCUT”), exposing its addictive guts to the world. Is the Cigarette Wet with rain, dew, sweat, beer, saliva, or some combination thereof? Let’s drag deep on our Wet Cigarette, and maybe we’ll have an answer by the end of the eight songs.
Right off the bat, this band intrigues me because they have three vocalists who scream, rave, and lead us through the 24 minute long album. The first track (“Six Feet of Ice”) starts out with some distortion before blasting off into fun punk power chord riffage and vocals that kind of remind me of Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys) mixed with early Laura Jane Grace (Against Me!).
The second song on the album (“Apathy”) slows down things a bit, notches down the intensity in the vocals, all in exchange for super catchy guitar strummings (yes, Strummings) and a really pleasing melody. The song suddenly POPS and hits us with the intensity we grew accustomed to from the first track. This Wet Cigarette is not a one trick pony, and this album has a nice eclectic mix of sounds that will please any punk rock fan. This is particularly heard when the 2nd vocalist takes over lead vocal duties on the songs “Being Gay is Good for the Environment” and “Your New Girlfriend Is a Starbucks Hoe”.
Wrapping up the album are three songs that are all distinct from one another musically but do a fantastic job of showcasing the band’s sense of humour. Wet Cigarette seem to love playing hard just as much as they seem to enjoy working hard! “Everything Sucks” is a particularly facetious tale, and “Bruce is Wearing My Shirt” is a just metal (actually it’s grunge-metal fusion, but ‘metal’ is such an apt adjective).
This album is really fun - it has dope riffs, screaming, and a fantastic sense of humour that is pervasive throughout. My favourite track is probably “Speed” – this song is seriously amazing. It’s like... early Against Me! mixed with WET CIGARETTE. It’s a banger is what it is. The track just has a lot of heart, and so does this album.
Uncut by Wet Cigarette wears its heart on its sleeve, vulnerable like an open Wet Cigarette that has been crushed into the pavement. Why is the Cigarette wet anyway? We may never know. What is this mysterious moisture that has soaked this Cigarette?
It’s blood, sweat, and tears (mixed with some kind of cheap lager served in cans at that bar that has now kept us waiting in line now for 24 minutes and 12 seconds – must be a hell of a show).
- Alex Bennett
