On the day his other band The Aerial Maps releases its majestic ‘Intimate Hinterland’ album (reviewed by me here), Maps’ sticksman and brother of singer Adam Gibson, Simon Robert Gibson today unveils for us his new single ‘Laying Low’. Low key and low-fi, Gibson shares his brother’s ear for capturing snapshots of life in a semi-spoken poetic flow that is understated, raw and earnest with its laconic Australian drawl.
Themed on the anxieties we all face as lockdowns are lifted, Gibson says of the track:
After a period of lockdown with more use of social media/messaging than I was used to (or really comfortable with) a brief window of freedom opened, which of course meant extensive in-person socialising. This in itself was joyous but also overwhelming when combined with the extra online engagement that had become normal. I found myself unable to focus on anything remotely constructive or creative so I just decided a break was needed…from everything.
Referencing his own brother’s twenty year old poem, ‘Incommunicado’, Gibson sings in a direct unadorned way, naked, unfiltered and emotional. There is a graceful and stupendous beauty in this style which is matched by the flickering grainy smoky video that is simple yet so evocative:
‘Laying Low’ will be available through all the usual streaming and download sites on Monday, 25 October 2021 and the album ‘Shine Bright The Day’ in November.
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