Back in November 2018, one of Milwaukee’s best indie rock bands, Soul Low, called it quits. The writing had been on the wall for some time (band members had moved to different parts of the country the previous year), but it still sucked. What didn’t suck: the wealth of terrific music the group left behind, from 2013’s classic UNEASY to 2017’s triumphant Cheer Up.
And now we can add 2019’s Drinks Gasoline to that list. Wait. What? Yes, Soul Low, which in social media posts stresses it is not a band anymore, just released a new album. Huh! “We’re dead but here’s a new record we recorded winter ’19 cuz why the fuck not, ope :)” Ope, indeed.
A quick listen to Drinks Gasoline (recorded in Minneapolis, btw) reveals a typically twisty and nervy outing filled with delirious highs (opener “Threesome”), wistful lows (the Juliet Farmer-sung “Vegas,” closer “Wormhole”), and instant classics (“Day By Day,” “Conservative Dad,” more). Plus, there’s the country-ish “Skywalk’s Closing,” which is just great. Oh, and an instrumental track called “Mambo No. 4.” Paging Lou Bega…
Listen to Drinking Gasoline now. Soul Low was Sam Gehrke, Jake Balistrieri, Sean Hirthe, and Charlie Celenza. R.I.P. Soul Low. Long live Soul Low.