Mo Lowda & The Humble – Tailing the Ghost Review

For those who do not yet know who Mo Lowda & The Humble are, as this naive, flash new keyboard-owning individual was, go in blind. Tailing the Ghost is best experienced when the opening song, Fitzroy, can build up a flurry of expectations. What genre will this be? Who here is the vocalist? The balance of lived-in experiences and idyllic, country-tinged, rock momentum is what carries Tailing the Ghost. As delightful surprise as you can get this summer without burning to a crisp in the beating sun. Shelter from the sunny storm, keep indoors with the charming skills and stylings of Mo Lowda & The Humble. From the wondrous indie scene of Philadelphia to your home. Let Mo Lowda & The Humble in, a basketful of delightful rock-oriented sound is held in their arms.  

Neat music from a band whose perspective is thoroughly natural. Leaves on the tree, falling one by one, and personified by the person who knows the next to drop is them on The Painter, is a strong image. Tailing the Ghost is filled with moments which provide strong visualisations of the future, of the past, too. One informs the other but Mo Lowda & The Humble manages to stave off the usual indie rock shortcomings of living in the past or preparing for an impossibly idyllic future. There are the inevitable moments of longing, be it for a loved one, a better time, or both. But this is where Tailing the Ghost can shine, because through those moments of familiarity is a lyrical shine. Sara’s Got Big Plans holds in it not the hopes of togetherness but notes the cold shoulder, the expectations of someone who looks well. Stereotypes are shot down by Mo Lowda & The Humble with a tremendous subtlety.  

Take the Bait has those pieces of familial closeness at heart, and it gives Tailing the Ghost a paternal link. It is not a topic touched on all too much, if ever, in music, but at least Mo Lowda & The Humble are bringing it to the forefront. They are adamant on their worldview, confident that swimming their own way, as they so brilliantly put it on Take the Bait, is the right course of action. It is hard to argue with the band when their sound is as confident as it is on Tailing the Ghost. Where Mo Lowda & The Humble takes a while longer to get to those fundamental points of indie rock, when they do arrive at the love for one another, the thrills of intimacy, it feels earned rather than expected. Their winding path, their own way, is a treat of a journey, as evidenced by 25 Years.  

Effective wordplay and a spirited set of performances set Tailing the Ghost apart from the rest of the indie rock pile. There are plenty of offers out there, but few are doing it as well, as consistently, as Mo Lowda & The Humble. A sweet release which calls for self-respect and a sense of adventure on the path of life. Tailing the Ghost is not afraid of the darker, desperate side which goes unnoticed by pop-climbing posers. Northside Violet is a standout moment for Mo Lowda & The Humble, a song where the fuzz and slight distortion thrills are paired with the perfume spritz and photographs of those held-onto memories. Time to let go, time to move on. Whatever comes next, Tailing the Ghost is a certainly worthwhile stop-off on the journey.