Kendl Winter and Palmer T. Lee of The Lowest Pair have a model, musical partnership. Right now this makes me very jealous. I’m ‘staying safe at home,’ sadly don’t have a quaran-team and am very single which has been my state of being for far too long. Clearly the universe doesn’t want me, or any single person, to have love or sex again. (Although if I were to have sex, this would be a great time. Most people are social distancing or in total isolation, taking safe sex to an entirely new level.) I guess in the meantime, I’ll have to pine for what The Lowest Pair have created. FYI…They are not a romantic couple, but rather a Washington-based, indie folk band which has released a new album, “The Perfect Plan.” (Of course, this is what it is called. Obviously to go with their perfect duo. Don’t rub it in Winter and Lee.)
“The Perfect Plan” is the duet’s sixth record. It’s an earthy, gritty, dynamic 10-song track. Their voices play on each other’s strengths, complimenting each other to the fullest. Winter’s sound is unique. As the team’s lead vocalist she masters a wide range, moving from sweet to a penetrating rasp. I dig the gravely but still creaky nature of her tone. Each note is captivating. Then there is Lee. He doesn’t disappoint. He is clear, strong and balanced. Lee flexes his voice to blend with Winter. His power rings strong as he takes the reigns in “Enemy of Ease.” The band is touting “Wild Animals” as the LP’s preeminent track. Don’t get me wrong, it’s phenomenal. Winter is the breathy roller-coaster while Lee is well paced metronome. Yet my favorites and maybe because I have love on my mind are, “How Far I Would Go,” “Too Late Babe,” “Cast Away” and “We Are Bleeding.” I am listing a ton of their tunes and these are just my standouts. The rest are equally masterful.
It not just the lyrics and vocals that make The Lowest Pair shine. They both expertly play banjo and the acoustic guitar. The instrumentals dare to overtake Winter and Lee’s voices. Of course they don’t because The Lowest Pair know how to create the precise musical recipe. I am a sucker for string instruments. A college boyfriend played anything with a string. I would lounge on my filthy, Good Will, tacky, abstract print couch late into the night as he tinkered away. His music acting as a soothing lullaby, I often fell asleep. The Lowest Pair, with their intrinsic talent, put me in the same mode. (Although, right now, I could do without the reminder of that expired relationship.) The band’s powerful yet soothing unconventionality draws you in to their enchanting, melodic web.
Winter and Lee are the perfect combination. They just work. For me, on the other hand, partnership clearly must wait. It’s okay. Probably, a good thing since at this point I would scare away a potential lover. My hair is an absolute disaster without its professional color every four weeks. I’m working 12+ hours a day to get systems into place for my now remote team. (I thought working from home would be fun. Wrong. I have never worked so hard in my life so I feel and look exhausted.) I’m eating all my rationed carbs. Once we are allowed out in the world I literally will not be able to fit through the door. Again, Winter and Lee aren’t a romantic couple, but I want what their music represents and delivers. It showcases connection, passion, synergy, even a sexiness. Enjoy the musical orgasm!
