Thurlow at Silverlake Lounge

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Thurlow is the musical project of Augustus Green and Jacqueline Caruso, husband and wife duo from Washington, D.C. that now resides in Los Angeles. They recently released an eight track EP called Training Wheels, now available for free download on their Bandcamp page.  The first track “The Hour Glass,” was recently chosen for the compilation To Haiti With Love with all proceeds going to an orphanage in Haiti. It’s the track that first got me interested in the band, and it’s now available to listeners below. I love the way it morphs from polite and quirky electro-acoustic pop to blown out rock angst during the chorus without losing any of its charm. They played a set last night at Silverlake Lounge to a small crowd, and I was anxious to see how their music would come across live. With just two people utilizing any combination of guitar, looped beats, and keyboards, Thurlow‘s set was short but sweet.

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The first song was “All the Riches”, featuring Jacqueline singing lead vocals. Her voice is haunting and mature, but still very vulnerable. After listening to Training Wheels extensively, I would venture that it does not do her complex timbre justice. It creates an interesting texture with the gritty, sligtly nasal vocals of Augustus, and the way they trade off lead and backup vocals it’s almost like they’re each guests in one another’s solo venture. The lyrics ranged from the usual love songs to proscriptions for life, each with triumphant, almost cathartic choruses. The musical textures were as unique as their vocals, with Augustus playing blues and grunge rock guitar licks against Jacqueline’s blues and pop rock organ and keyboard chords. They used vintage looped beats that reminded me of the ones on my grandparents’ old Conn Starmaker organ, which added to their heady, retro vibe. Though the individual parts were repetitive and relatively simple, the eclectic combination of styles, combinations, and well-written songs gave their sound a unique yet highly appealing edge. Find out for yourself after listening to “The Hour Glass” below. Download Thurlow‘s latest EP Training Wheels on their Bandcamp page here, and stay tuned to their Facebook or Myspace page for upcoming tour dates and events!


The Hour Glass-Thurlow by BestNewBandscom