Triathalon – Lo-Tide

Savannah, GA garage pop act Triathalon might be a relative newcomer on the lo-fi scene, but you wouldn’t know it from listening to their debut Broken Circles Records full length, Lo-Tide.  The sketchy three-piece pumps out thirty minutes of catchy, noise-fueled tunes that always strive to afford listeners with haze-coated hooks.  With so many parallels to current noise royalty Mac DeMarco and Wavves, Lo-Tide doesn’t push the envelope, but rather competently falls in line.  

Prototypical tunes like “Surfing” build a base from the genre’s wavering atonality.  The guitars reverberate in that familiar analogue echo, and vocalist Adam Intrator follows suit.  A discernible pop-rock core peeks out from under the ever-present experimental glaze, ensuring that for the most part, Triathalon’s tunes put their catchiest foot forward.  For instance, on “Usher Surfing” and to a lesser extent “Hawaiian Boi” Intrator’s vocal bobbing bops along to a vibrant bass and hypnotic chorus of supporting, falsetto-style “oooo’s” (think a dirtier Portugal. The Man).  Most outsiders will appreciate the adherence to conventional songwriting in songs like “Low Tide,” whereas genre purists will likely trumpet the experimental will of tunes like “Downtown.”  Of particular note, the latter plugs in a sauntering 50’s ‘doo wop’ vibe not unlike those of that golden era from which they draw.  

Outsiders may be surprised at just how much variety Triathalon musters up over in their secluded little corner of the noise scene.  For those who have been growing weary of many of static coated, rehashed garage-pop releases from Dirt Nap Records, Lo-Tide certainly paints Broken Circles Records as an emerging home in a different light.  The only question remaining is just how much longevity an album like Lo-Tide can achieve with both audiences.  It might just be a little “out there” for casual listeners to keep in rotation, while it might not be “out there” enough to occupy the existing core.  Regardless, Triathalon offer up an appealing proposition with Lo-Tide, and those with even an inkling of interest should be served well by checking it out.