It had been very long time since Ryan Karazija’s lovely “low roar” has been heard within his former stomping ground of San Francisco, and this SF Bay Area native had kept us longing for his return. We had all hoped that “once in a long long while” (ironically the name of his new album) he would be back, and that time came Mon/Tues night at The Independent . Just as I remembered, Ryan’s beautiful, mysterious melodies have a special way of seeping into the psyche and having you join him on very personal journey through perfect contradictions of fear/love and doubt/faith. His haunting howls will lather you in chills and make you feel the cold shock of his move from California to Iceland back in 2011 (one that sure takes immense strength). I was fortunate to have discovered Low Roar back in 2014 at Iceland Airwaves Music Festival (made me fall in love with Iceland even more), and was so hooked that I saw them a week later in London at The Lexington as part of their Ja Ja Ja Music festival. (I still have the free bag they gave and actually brought it along last night). I also brought with me a stage-layout paper that Ryan signed for me that night – can’t believe it held up through all my wanderlusting travels since then! It was surreal to be seeing Low Roar again last night and having Ryan give me a big hug after the show. It’s times like these where I feel strong melancholy for London music scene and exposure to more international music from Europe and Scandinavia (especially Iceland!). Although Low Roar won’t be playing Secret Solstice Festival in June, I know I will see them again the next time our paths intersect. Old gems like ‘I’ll Keep Coming’ and ‘Easy Way Out’ are timeless tracks that I revisit again and again when “I wanna feel something again … memorable.” Can’t wait to dive into the new album. More timeless tracks to unearth. ❤ #lowroar #sanfermintour #theindependentsf #icelandicmusicscene #onceinalonglongwhile #newalbumtour #longedforhisreturn 👌🏻❤