Lichens

LICHENS “Restoration of Temperment”/ LEXIE MOUNTAIN “If You So Choose” Format: Split LP on 180 gram vinyl. Limited edition of 500 copies BUY NOW

Lichens is the solo vehicle of Chicago resident Robert Lowe (90 Day Men). Using only the barest tools — electric guitar, a loop pedal, and his own voice — Lowe creates reverent, soothing psychedelic hymns that carry an emotional resonance far outstripping their minimalist origins.

Restoration of Temperment (sic) is just such a lulling meditation, with loping, melodic guitar runs buttressed by subtle flecks of reversed guitar feedback and solemn, glacial drones. Over these fourteen-and-a-half minutes, Lowe’s quavering, non-verbal vocal lamentations run the gamut from guttural grunts to ecstatic falsetto punctuations, all situated atop understated guitar work that modulates between quietly plucked passages and slow, searing leads reflective of the patiently jubilant vibe being exuded here.