Casey Lowry - “27,000 Days”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 9; Popularity Index: 6

Pairs Well With…Declan McKenna, Noah Kahan, Sam Fender

One of the most impressive new discoveries running through the early SXSW roster, Casey Lowry displays lyrical and musical excellence across his immediately engaging catalog. The English singer-songwriter pulls from acoustic rock, indie pop, and UK alt-rock to create a personal, charming sound, finding arenas both big and small to weave his tales. Pop hooks are the anchor here, whether it is a little synth line, sharp guitar chording, or Lowry’s connecting vocals. Lyrically clever, biting, and vulnerable, Lowry’s songs invite the listener to laugh along at our own faults and misadventures. Many artists would turn this level of introspection to sad and solemn fare, but Lowry does the opposite. There is real joy here. Relatable versus living in the abstract, Casey Lowry lets you into his shoes for better or worse, all while crafting earworm sing-a-longs drawn equally from folk and pop backgrounds. He’s released a series of strong singles since pre-pandemic EPs Beach Blue and Nervous, so fingers crossed a full-length is in the sights of this consistently hitting songwriter. (Kevin McStravick)