Artist: Slim Loris
Album: Future Echoes and Past Replays
Genre: Indie, Folk, Americana
For fans of: First Aid Kit, Mumford & Sons, The Avett Brothers

When I initially caught wind of the Slim Loris moniker, having not yet experienced the musical contributions it had to offer, I ignorantly assumed that it belonged to some form of hip-hop project. Immediately upon listening to “Fear Of Flying,” the opening track from Slim Loris’ Future Echoes and Past Replays, my hasty preconception was quickly negated. Slim Loris, in fact, is a Swedish indie rock outfit, and hip-hop or any of its various sub-genres do not play a role in their efforts.

Future Echoes and Past Replays opens like Summer. Windows down, driving to the coast. “Fear Of Flying” is a catchy indie rock jam with many layers. With an infectious chorus and a smooth, peaceful yet upbeat and rhythmic force through and through, the album starts off with a vibe reminiscent of The Kooks and bands of their ilk but with a refreshing Slim Loris take.

This brand is consistent throughout Future Echoes and Past Replays with familiar offerings, but slight variations scattered amongst tracks like “Domestic,” which offers a female vocal contribution and a sort of country rock bridge and chord progression, and “Norah” which reminds me of another Swedish group, First Aid Kit, sans female vocals of course. “Norah” is one of, if not the, strongest tracks on Future Echoes and Past Replays. The old country/folk angle works very well for Slim Loris and in “Norah” that is evident as it’s one of the songs that is best constructed and delivered with a certain preciseness.

Future Echoes and Past Replays isn’t a breakthrough in indie rock but it contains many beautiful moments. The harmonies, piano parts, melodies, and even the lyrics can be gorgeous (omit the second track’s insistent chorus that sounds all too close to, “Her head is shit on the floor” – playful) and carry this album well, but the slight gouge in its integrity is the less than ideal production quality and some weaker tracks such as “While I Breathe,” the closer, “October in White,” and middle piece, “I Will Forget.” Even without excessive run-times, these particular tracks feel long-winded apart from their pretty piano components. While Slim Loris seem to have found their stride on some tracks, others tend to feel faineant. Luckily, the tracks that are less appealing throughout the effort are balanced evenly between the tracks that stand out, making it easier to listen through the album in its entirety without getting bored or turned off entirely.

Future Echoes isn’t perfect and could have used a tad more polish, but in many ways it’s a step or two in the right direction from the band’s previous effort, Down To Earth. With that in mind, I see this album being a show of progression and a promising future from a band that I’d imagine wish to include many more efforts on their résumés. I’ll definitely be following their journey.

SCORE: 6/10
Review written by: Brian Lion – Follow him on Twitter

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Brian Leak

Editor-In-Chief. King of forgetting drinks in the freezer. Pop culture pack rat. X-Phile. LOST apologist.

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