LVL UP joins forces with Boston’s Run For Cover Records on their upcoming 7-inch simply titled Three Songs. Run For Cover has previously released music by other bands in the LVL UP family, including Crying and Elvis Depressedly.
The tracks are connected through vulnerability, introspective lyrical observations and evocative guitar licks. On the track “The Closing Door”, Dave Benton hums, “I don’t know what I’m looking for—the closing door has brought my body here before”, over a jangly backdrop reminiscent of the twinkle-box world of the Magnetic Fields. Benton has the rare ability to transform the mundane, small life details into universally relatable declarations of uncertainty. A door might be closing but you get the sense you’re entering a private place.
Three Songs is a potent mix of both regret and acceptance that retains deeply personal trappings. On the faster-paced single “Blur”, the band demonstrates the post-punk essence of Space Brothers while expanding into more ethereal territory. Benton’s voice is confessional and nostalgic. The closing track, “Proven Water Rites”, has a denser background, with harrowed vocals that recount the perplexities of uneasiness and recognition: “Remember me when I’m free / I’ll be easy”. Through the stretch of the EP, LVL UP creates a collection of the songs that are simultaneously candid and enigmatic.
