Kowloon
"The Longwalls evoke wintry discontent and hope springing eternal within the walls of their latest album, Kowloon... a lovely novella of an album." — The Owl MagBuy on Bandcamp
About This Release
In Hong Kong there was once a walled city, Kowloon. An ungoverned 6-acre city within a city, home to 33,000 people. Urban density and decay in overdrive. A crush of tiny apartments. Trash and running water in the streets. Rare pools of light.
Yet life maintained. Amidst the darkness and back-alley operators. Against the cold stone, ash, and dust. An embodiment of the unplanned and unchecked, a mix of pessimism and isolationism, a Kowloon can grow within the mind before you know it. Twenty teetering stories of paralyzing uncertainty walled off from rational thought.
Kowloon was eventually demolished; a peaceful park of scenic gardens quietly rest in its place. Life maintains.
Kowloon is The Longwalls' 3rd release in as many years. It was recorded entirely on their own in their rehearsal space and home studios.
Tracks
- 01 Vaasa
- 02 Big MT
- 03 Long for Shipwrecks
- 04 Liberty Bell
- 05 Woods Pretty
- 06 Kowloon
- 07 Maybe Golden
- 08 Bring me Peace
Credits
Kurt von Stetten – drums, cello, hand percussion, synths, backing vocals
Dan London – bass, acoustic guitar, mandolin, backing vocals (lead on "Bring me Peace")
Brandon Comstock – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo, synths, backing vocals (lead on "Shipwrecks" and "Woods Pretty")
Songs by Alan (BMI); "Shipwrecks" and "Woods Pretty" by Brandon (BMI); "Bring me Peace" by Dan (SESAC).
Music by The Longwalls.
Produced & Enginnered by Kurt von Stetten and The Longwalls at Arlington Music Studios and the Beat Dojo
Mixed by Owen Curtin with Marly Carre at Bridge Sound and Stage
Mastered by Eric Baird at Half Son of Audio
Design by Alex Budnitz
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Press & Reviews
"These songs soar and crash with astonishing grace... The power is unmistakable."
— Aiding & Abetting
"The Longwalls evoke wintry discontent and hope springing eternal within the walls of their latest album, Kowloon... a lovely novella of an album."
— The Owl Mag
"The Longwalls have created a solid album that treats melancholy with a bit of twang, a pinch of grunge and a ton of heart."
— mxdwn
"The Longwalls capture the sound of a dusty repetitious highway and the lonely poetic spirit of adventure."
— Mojophenia
"At once unsettling, melancholic, and peaceful. Indeed, as the listener reaches the final track a feeling of tranquility has already been delivered."
— Boston Music Vibe
"Their honest folk music involved a lot of depth."
— Golden Mixtape
"A mix of guitar twang and noise pop."
— Indies and the Underground
"Maybe it's growing up, maybe its early onset seasonal affective disorder, but on Kowloon, guitars fuzz, vocals reverb ever so slightly, and the songs can take a bit more of an introspective feel. Sonically, it is a sharp sound that sounds like a great direction for the band."
— Music Savage
"The Longwalls excel at mixing dissonance and tension in with hummable melodies. In that regard, they live somewhere between a more rustic Velvet Underground and a less new-post-punk the National."
— The Noise
"Boston rock band The Longwalls wrote an entire EP inspired by Kowloon, the area from Hong Kong where I am from. Their inspiration came from way way back when Kowloon was a walled city. How they managed to do that, I don't know."
— Panic Manual
"The band masterfully blends traditional folk instruments and music with a modern style of synth usage, sound modulation, and atmospheric noise dynamics that is really quite impressive and pleasing to the ears."
— Red Line Roots
"This collection of songs should be enjoyed by a wide audience. I hope the Longwalls are discovered outside of their New England home base."
— Twangville
