Lowlight

“It takes a little chutzpah to be a New Jersey band and call one of your releases Born to Run…” - Billboard

“…they’re writing songs that either hit people right in the heart or get them partying…” - Miami New Times

“…at once unpretentious and put-together, a band that draws from a well of trodden, rustic folk pathways while still creating a polished, indie sound that is very much of their time.” - Elmore Magazine

“Lowlight has proved itself capable of almost anything; a band fully in control of its faculties, having crafted an album so vital and compelling, it dares you to try and pin it down.”

Gleason was once described by no less an authority than Pitchfork as an “easily identifiable nowhere man,” and that still holds true today. His weathered voice floats slightly above and away from his new collaborators. Perhaps an apt comparison might be Kevin Morby or Kurt Vile, fellow earthbound songwriters whose vocals carry their tunes toward unexpected places. But just because Gleason sings with a thoughtful removal doesn’t mean he’s at all ambivalent.

In fact, “Samantha” is the best thing with Lowlight’s name on it since 2019’s “NYE.” And while their subsequent work remained adventurous, Lowlight always made its best music when the songs were placed front-and-center. And for that reason, “Samantha” feels like a return to form. Melodies are reprioritized, harmonies are lush and fleshed-out, and guitar and pian.o replace keys and synths. And while production is scaled back, the song is no less expertly-executed than anything on the ambitious Strange Light. For that reason, “Samantha” is the perfect reintroduction of a band we’ve both come to know well and come to expect great things from. - You Don’t Know New Jersey

“The most fiercely loyal, dedicated and hard-working independent band in New Jersey’s music scene….” - Gannett / My Central Jersey

"Best EP: Lowlight, “They Know” — This veteran Central Jersey outfit changed direction with new lead singer John Gleason of Roadside Graves, but kept right on keepin’ on with this strong outing on the seminal North Jersey indie Mint 400 Records. Even more atmospheric and a bit less rootsy than before, the songwriting remains strong while the music sizzles." - New Jersey Stage