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Jul 02, 2024 Web Exclusive By Matt the Raven

The third album from the trio Loma, and follow-up to 2020’s hypnotically enchanting Don’t Shy Away, continues their foray into spectral and impressionistic indie rock. Piecing together dreamy soundscapes with vocals as the melodies, each track slowly unfurls, taking on a unique identity with nary a verse-chorus-refrain structure and no formula other than to follow their artistic muse wherever it takes them.

Flowing with a fickle underbelly of intriguing sounds and Emily Cross’ beautiful voice, the tracks on How Will I Live Without a Body? are a bit more experimental than on past records. But what seem like sparse arrangements at first are actually intricate and adorned when listened to closely. Sonic touchstones include the textured, mystical sounds of Low, and the sultry and pensive solo work of Beth Gibbons (Portishead) and Josephine Wiggs (The Breeders).

The whispering and moody songs often stray into the nebulous stratosphere as spacey drones and gently rolling drums are delicately integrated to provide loose rhythms and slow tempos, with some feeling more like conceptual musical ideas rather than fully formed songs. But the most notable songs—such as opener “Please, Come In,” “Unbraiding,” and “Broken Doorbell”—are well-developed and stay grounded as oddly pleasant melodies arise from the oscillating backdrop of subtle thumps and cadences using an amiable cacophony of motley instrumentation.

As a whole, How Will I Live Without a Body? will neither wow the listener nor will it disappoint and it includes some alluring material with a few tasty morsels that will provide a marvelously whimsical late-night headphone excursion. (www.lomatheband.com)

Author rating: 7/10