This Is Lorelei Embraces Their New Twang in Houston
Show Review ★ Danny Pedraza★ @jaydpedraza★ 3 Minutes
Hidden within the skyscrapers and buildings, The House of Blues Houston could be found as part of a multi-level entertainment complex and tucked even further is “The Bronze Peacock Room”; A ballroom-type 200 capacity room with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and folk-style art decorating the deep red colored walls.
Here, within this humid room is where the newly relocated Lubbock slow-core band, Shallowater took the stage. Walking quietly from behind their merch table to the stage and almost in an instant the whole room’s only focus point was on the trio.
Shallowater charmed the crowd as their lead singer, Blake Skipper’s pained and whispered vocals could explode into a great wail over the often slow-burned but nuanced in its complexity instrumentals.
Drummer, Ryan Faulkenberry, would masterfully balance on the tight-rope between a laid-back snare groove and tight monstrous fills during the moments of chaos.
But as their set closed, Shallowater began their final song “Angels” from their highly acclaimed 2024 release, “There Is a Well”.
Bassist, Tristan Kelly, carried this devastating ballad under a contemplative bassline and as if the crowd lucked out this night, they were being treated to one of the best unexpected endings to a show I’ve ever experienced.
This performance of “Angels” was something holy to witness, a mixture of 2000’s Drive-By Truckers song composition with the blazing guitar work of your favorite shoegaze band, all topped by some heart-shattering vocals; Shallowater made me a fan by the end of their set.
As the trio group left to an applause, a greatly-bearded Nate Amos walked onto the stage followed by his group. After sound-checking for a few minutes, he finally addressed the crowd with a deeply-voiced “Hey”.
The band stepped off stage, leaving the packed crowd brewing for 15 minutes until returning back to stage.
The band’s pianist, Bailey Wollowitz tested their keys for a brief moment allowing the crowd to hear the toy keyboard sound that begins a fan favorite track, “Where’s Your Love Now”; immediately the band synced into a grand live rendition of the song, Amo’s guitar tone now overdriven along with a blistering drum performance from Cameron Wisch was just a sample of his performance for the rest of the night.
With the band’s latest album, “The Singer in My Band”, releasing less than a month prior to this show, the Houston crowd was treated to hearing the full album in a live setting, and throughout the night the audible difference was clear in showing the artistic evolution of Nate Amos.
The electronic folk of the opening song soon faded as the 2026 album opener “I Will Eat My Heart in the Morning Light” offered the crowd a musical melting pot of bluegrass-inspired instrumentation that they loved.
Some highlights from the night’s full album playthrough were Nate Amo’s vocal performance during “Oh No Now My”, where amongst the heavy marching rock instrumental he carried a light falsetto that paired nicely even in the chaos.
The heaviest track of the night was easily the song, “The Kid With the Crown”, as the pianist stood from their seat and began a hypnotic tambourine beat and the band followed with an unrelenting version of the song.
Finally, Amos would take center stage with an acoustic guitar and delicately perform the album closer, “Don’t You Cry in Lonesomeness” by himself in a fashion that brought out the true heart-shattering nature of the track.
Closing the night with two tracks every fan in the crowd were waited for with “I’m All Fucked Up” and “Dancing in the Club” acted not only as a gift but a display of how This Is Lorelei moves through music. As even with the electronic sounds of the past and the childhood bluegrass heritage Nate Amos is revisiting in his newest work, This Is Lorelei proved on a humid night in Houston to be one of most musically expansive bands touring today.
