Formed by a bunch of school friends in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2015, alternative rock band Downward play by no one’s rules but their own. Releasing their self-titled debut album in 2018, the band’s next full-length didn’t drop until 2025, and in the world of music where fads come and go at an alarming rate, such a gap between long players is a lifetime. Of course, this Tulsan quartet aren’t the kind of band you can forget, meaning there was always going to be an audience whenever they decided to return. Now signed to the terminally cool Pure Noise Records, that sophomore album gets the deluxe treatment with added bonus tracks that serves as a marker on their journey and act as a signpost of things to come.
Some bands are undoubtedly a product of their environment; think Black Sabbath’s industrial surroundings and The Smiths’ Manchester skyline, and the same can be said for Tulsa’s Downward. Living in the middle of “tornado alley”, it’s the kind of place where a sleepy lull pervades for most of the year, then nature springs into life with full force, whipping the city into a swirling whirlwind (quite literally). That’s exactly the aesthetic which informs Downward’s sound and is best exemplified by opening track ‘Drawl’. One of two “new” songs that have been added to the track list, ‘Drawl’ veers between dense shoegaze riffs that fill every cubic inch of space and quieter, almost serene moments that seem to stretch out for eternity. It’s akin to a hypnotist’s watch swinging back and forth and the effect it has upon the listener is equally spellbinding.
The great thing about Downward is that they sound like no one but themselves. The band are quite cagey about their influences and that makes them even more opaque; I can hear a touch of early Cure in ‘Get Some’, yet any parallels you can draw with other bands very tenuous and don’t bear close scrutiny. So when approaching this record it is best to clear your mind of preconceived ideas and let the likes of ‘Wind Up’ wash over you and enjoy them for what they are (i.e., great, great, great songs). It’s very easy to get lost in the dreamlike soundscapes found in ‘Darkscreen’, and it’s best to leave a note when listening to this album, you might be gone for some time.
While you won’t find the tracks on Downward II acting in new, strange ways, the aforementioned ‘Drawl’ along with other “new” cut ‘Get Some’ adds a fresh dynamic to this album which will sate older fans and attract many new admirers. And with Pure Noise Records also re-releasing the band’s debut EP The Brass Tax, it seems the world really is Downward’s oyster.
- Downward II is released via Pure Noise Records on 24th April 2026.
Track List:
- Drawl
- Get Some
- Request Made
- Wind Up
- Absolute Value
- Line
- Darkscreen
- Ibex
- Out Of Luck
- Perfect Food
- The Waltz
- Rival
- Leechy
