When they first appeared in 2017, Lo Tom bore all the hallmarks of a satisfying one-off project. Indie rock vets David Bazan (Pedro the Lion, Headphones), Trey Many (Velour 100, His Name Is Alive), Jason Martin (Starflyer 59, Bon Voyage), and T.W. Walsh (Pedro the Lion, the Soft Drugs) were all in their way significant underground forces during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and their collaborative intermingling within various projects only widened their scope of influence. When the four friends got together years later as Lo Tom, the premise was uncomplicated: hang out, have fun, play some straightforward rock & roll. Led by Bazan's rusty-voiced introspections, the band's self-titled debut made good on those directives and benefitted from the relaxed energy of pre-existing chemistry and low expectations. Three years later, they offer up a second batch of careworn rockers whose crunchy riffs are engineered to rattle the backseats rather than the basement floor. LP2 finds Lo Tom assuming the ambitious task of conjuring more magic out of a simple formula, which they sidestep somewhat by beefing up the production and tinkering with the arrangements. Their previous self-imposed limitations of minimal overdubs and only two guitars per track went out the window in favor of subtle synth textures, soaring leads, and plenty of ambient sonic heft. In spite of the slicker feel, the spirit of the group remains more or less the same and Bazan's enigmatic mix of wry self-reckoning and mercurial minor-key rock helps LP2 shine on highlights like "Suck It Up" and "In a Van." Martin and Walsh pull a few more colors out of their guitars than the first time around and Many's drumming can easily fill a big room, but there are times when Lo Tom's sophomore outing suffers from its ambition, doing away with some of their character by way of added gloss. Still, a follow-up album always presents a challenge, let alone one made by an indie rock supergroup whose initial genesis was simply to bash out some tunes over a few weekends. ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi

1		Start Payin'
2		Suck It Up
3		Outta Here
4		I Need Relief
5		No Margin of Error
6		The Show
7		Don't Look at Me
8		In a Van

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