Adam KennyRyan Karazija (1982 – 2022)
Ryan Karazija tragically passed away in 2022 on the 22nd of October. The founder, lead singer, the idea and core of Low Roar from the first album to their last in life and after death. House in the Woods marks the first and, at the moment, what seems to be the only planned posthumous release from Low Roar. Producer Andrew Scheps, considered a core member of Low Roar, headed this posthumous release and rightfully so. If anyone was to take on such a delicate and daunting responsibility, it would be somebody who was there from start to finish.
The Sound of Low Roar
Sonically, over the years, Low Roar has remained consistent, but not to the point of boredom. Once In a Long Long While (2017) is a very different album to Low Roar’s self titled debut. Both can be described as soft and gentle with dramatic yet thoughtful production that makes you feel like a gentle gust of wind is going through your house. I always associated Low Roar’s music with rain and fog.
When I listen to their music, it evokes listening to a rain cloud occasionally bursting into lightning and thunder. Especially on Once In a Long Long While which was featured heavily in the video game Death Stranding (2019) that was all about trecking across this type of serene landscape. House in the Woods does not deviate from the established sound of Low Roar, but it does take on a more ambient idea then their previous records.
Posthumous Releases and the Weight they Carry
Posthumous albums can always be a difficult thing to tackle. How does someone take on this emotional challenge? How do they truly know what the artist would want? In this case, it’s clear from the first track to the last that Ryan was all over House in the Woods.
The album starts off strong with the first 3 tracks bringing the sound that Low Roar has carried for nearly 15 years now. If you listened to the album without any vocals it would be an incredible ambient album. Andrew’s production continues to have that gorgeous and simple essence that effortlessly fills your ears but leaves enough room for Ryan Karazija’s singing. The vocals and the production by themselves are incredible, but together they have this harmony and admiration for each other.
Familiar sound, different album
Compared to previous albums like 0 and their self titled album, House in the Woods encompasses a much more lax and ambient sound throughout, sometimes leaning almost towards drone like production. There’s no hooks, so to speak, on the album. No ear worms, no melodies you’ll find yourself singing over and over again. Ryan’s voice actually drops in and out of songs. Sometimes starting off as the main focus of the track, but as it goes, you find Ryan does too. He drops into the back of the production and becomes part of the gorgeous piano and whispy synths.
So whilst there isn’t songs like I’ll Keep Coming or Don’t Be So Serious, the songs on House in the Woods still stand strong. Tracks like Just How it Goes, Field of Dreams, Double Trouble (my personal favourite) and Gone Fishing all carry their own importance and strengths. You won’t be struggling to get the melodies out of your head after you’ve finished the record, but I found that I walked away from them relaxed and with a sense of clarity.
Low Roar started off with an almost bedroom-pop-esque aesthetic where you just want to wrap up in a blanket and not really think about much. That sentiment has moved from a blanket and has transformed into a kitchen table. A couch in your sitting room or the balcony of your appartment. The album gets you thinking about yourself, about what you want and what you didn’t want.
I could go through each and every song on the album, but frankly when you listen to one song and go into the album 5 songs later you’ll feel as though there’s not much of a difference between them. For some people that’s a deal breaker, for me I found it was exactly what I wanted from the record. It moves away from experimenting with certain sounds and it becomes a celebration and monument to what Low Roar is and was.
Goodbye to Low Roar
I can’t find any faults to this album. Do I think it’s the best album of all time? No. Do I think it’s worth listening? Yes, I really think so. It’s hard to not listen to something released posthumously without a sense of goodbye. Without looking back at all the previous work and songs you’ve listened too. It’s easy to get lost in it all and not really think too much about the quality of what you’re listening to, but I do think House in the Woods is a strong album by itself. Low Roar continues to be one of my favourite projects. I think it’s as welcoming and tender as previous albums.
Andrew Scheps has given us all one last goodbye to Ryan. I don’t know if more is to come from Low Roar. I’d honestly be surprised if there was, but I’m glad that we have House in the Woods. I’m glad we got to hear Ryan Karazija one more time, and I’m glad that Low Roar got to go out not with a bang, but with a gentle wave goodbye.
