Low | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Formed in Duluth, Minnesota, in 1993, Low were perhaps the slowest of the so-called "slowcore" bands; delicate, austere, and hypnotic, the trios music rarely rose above a whisper, divining its dramatic tension in the unsettling open spaces created by the absence of sound. The group initially won over listeners and critics with music that was dramatically spare and keenly focused on the dynamics of their performances; this era peaked with 1999s Secret Name and 2001s Things We Lost in the Fire. Once Low signed with Sub Pop Records, they embraced a fuller sound and a more diverse approach, including expanded instrumentation (2005s The Great Destroyer), pop-accented production (2011s Cmon), and experiments in discordant electronics (2018s Double Negative), with the harmonies of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker serving as their aural constants. Initially comprising the husband-and-wife team of guitarist/vocalist Alan Sparhawk and drummer/vocalist Mimi Parker, along with bassist John Nichols, Low began as an experimental reaction to the predominance of grunge. Producer and Shimmy Disc Records founder Kramer soon invited the group to record at his Noise N.J. studios, and the resulting demos earned them a deal with the Virgin-distributed Vernon Yard label. After reentering the studio with Kramer, Low emerged with their 1994 debut, I Could Live in Hope, a beautiful set spotlighting the trios hauntingly minimal aesthetic -- even Parkers drum set consisted of only a snare and a hi-hat. Nichols exited the group prior to 1995s lovely Long Division, recorded with new bassist Zak Sally. A subsequent appearance on the Joy Division tribute A Means to an End was later expanded into the following years Transmission EP, a five-track set also featuring a rendition of Supreme Dicks "Jack Smith." With new producer Steve Fisk behind the boards, Low returned later in 1996 with The Curtain Hits the Cast. The Songs for a Dead Pilot EP followed in 1997 and marked Lows debut with their new label, Kranky, for whom they also released the critically acclaimed Secret Name in 1999. The late 90s also saw them issue Owl (Low Remixes) and the Christmas mini-album, which featured a cover of "Little Drummer Boy" that became a minor hit when it was featured in The Gaps holiday season commercials in 2000. 2000 also brought the release of The Exit Papers, a limited-edition instrumental EP Low described as "a soundtrack to an imaginary film." The bands brilliant Things We Lost in the Fire arrived on Kranky in 2001, with the darker, more subdued Trust coming the following year. Two years later, the B-sides/rare tracks collection A Lifetime of Temporary Relief appeared on Lows own Chairkickers Music imprint. For their seventh full-length album, 2005s The Great Destroyer, Low moved to Sub Pop; the second leg of the groups tour in support of the album had to be canceled after Sparhawk announced he was in treatment for depression. By 2007 he was feeling well enough to return to work, and the group released its second LP for Sub Pop, the politically charged Drums and Guns; Sparhawk had also launched a side project, the Retribution Gospel Choir, whose debut album appeared in 2008. Released in 2011, Cmon marked the debut of bassist Steve Garrington, while the band also stretched its boundaries by working with producer Matt Beckley, who had previously worked with mainstream pop acts such as Katy Perry and Avril Lavigne. In 2013, Lows 20th anniversary, the group released The Invisible Way, which featured production from Wilcos Jeff Tweedy. Low returned with a new studio album, Ones and Sixes, in September 2015, which the band produced in collaboration with recording engineer BJ Burton; Glenn Kotche of Wilco was a guest on the sessions. In 2016, Low reissued The Exit Papers, making the EP available on vinyl and as a digital download for the first time. Low returned to the studio with BJ Burton to record 2018s Double Negative, an unusually forceful and challenging album that found the trio experimenting with dissonant electronic backings and aggressively Auto-tuned vocals. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 31 Title: Low Released: 1994 Tracks: 5 Duration: 24:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Below & Above (02:32) 2 Caroline (04:48) 3 Lazy (05:43) 4 Words (05:50) 5 Tired (05:11) |
 | Album: 2 of 31 Title: I Could Live in Hope Released: 1994-02-18 Tracks: 11 Duration: 57:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Words (05:50) 2 Fear (02:16) 3 Cut (05:48) 4 Slide (03:51) 5 Lazy (05:39) 6 Lullaby (09:50) 7 Sea (01:50) 8 Down (07:29) 9 Drag (05:16) 10 Rope (06:17) 11 Sunshine (02:59) |
| I Could Live in Hope : Allmusic album Review : Like so many of their contemporaries, Low are repeatedly lumped into numerous derivative and nondescript headings intended to encompass slow-paced, instrument-driven music that maintains an indie aesthetic. Quite simply, no category can truly reveal the beauty and glory of Lows debut record I Could Live in Hope. Sad core? Not even close! I Could Live in Hope is an incredibly joyous journey of spirit and songwriting sensibility. The record remains patient and sparse throughout (just guitar, bass, high hat, and snare, and angelic vocals by the husband and wife team of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker), but succeeds beautifully. Low truly behold the gift of understatement. Working with long-time producer and New York underground mainstay Kramer, Low examine their own fears and haunting experiences, occasionally linking them with Biblical references, while consoling listeners with warm layers of ethereal vocals and waves of guitar reverberation. Tracks are simple one-word titles but thats all that they require -- too much information would spoil the records elegance. And thats probably why they open the record with "Words," a song about the overuse and misuse of language, that sets the tone for the entire album, right up to their plaintive and passionate cover of "You Are My Sunshine." Every small nuance of production is evident -- Sparhawks fingers not quite connecting on a chord change or sliding over a fret and echoing infinitely -- making I Could Live in Hope a true testament to both Low and Kramers penchant for capturing the lushest of soundscapes. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 31 Title: Long Division Released: 1995-05-23 Tracks: 12 Duration: 49:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Violence (05:54) 2 Below & Above (02:32) 3 Shame (03:56) 4 Throw Out the Line (04:05) 5 Swingin (04:10) 6 See-Through (04:25) 7 Turn (05:08) 8 Caroline (04:47) 9 Alone (04:00) 10 Streetlight (00:35) 11 Stay (07:04) 12 Take (02:32) |
| Long Division : Allmusic album Review : With the molasses-slow ringing of the opening chords of "Violence," Low arrived. The Duluth, Minnesota band had formed two years earlier in 1993, and issued its quietly joyful debut, I Could Live in Hope, in the interim, but sophomore record Long Division saw the band stripping down its already unprecedentedly spare instrumentation to create an atmosphere so lonely, patient, and narcotic that the album created the sensation of being awake in a sad-hearted dream. On their debut, Lows sound was informed by their minimal instrumentation, with guitar, high-register bass notes, and a two-piece drum kit providing the backdrop for Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parkers angelic harmonies and Kramers spacious production. The songs on Long Division take that minimalism even further, slowing the tempos and implementing so much negative space that the instruments sometimes fade into complete silence in the space between sparse notes or drum hits. The otherworldly slowness of songs like "Shame" and "See-Through" are representative of the radical amount of space that defines the album, gliding gracefully as a falling leaf floating slowly on the wind. Low were born out of a reaction to the aggressive trudge of early-90s grunge, so the songs are slow but never plodding. A song like "Turn" begins with a somewhat menacing lurch, but slowly blooms into a mysteriously hopeful climax. Contemporaries like Red House Painters and especially Codeine worked in similar muted colors and pensive tempos, but Low managed to exist outside of the often depressive themes of their peers. Practicing Mormons, Sparhawk and Parker often intoned their understated songs with vaguely religious undertones, hinting at retribution and redemption with foreboding atmospheres and heavy vibes more than overtly cautionary lyrics. The combination of Lows groundbreaking approach to elongating traditional pop music structures paired with Kramers equally extreme reverb and Echoplex colorings congeal into one of Lows most brilliantly atmospheric statements, and perhaps the most dire in what would be a career that spanned decades. Long Division is a masterwork, somehow simultaneously achieving lushness and emptiness, embodying hope and heartbroken despair with equal force. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 31 Title: Finally... Released: 1996 Tracks: 4 Duration: 20:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Anon (04:20) 2 Tomorrow One (04:28) 3 Prisoner (03:48) 4 Turning Over (07:46) |
 | Album: 5 of 31 Title: Transmission EP Released: 1996-01-23 Tracks: 5 Duration: 35:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Transmission (06:15) 2 Bright (03:55) 3 Caroline 2 (04:41) 4 Hands (04:29) 5 Jack Smith / [silence] / [untitled] (16:11) |
 | Album: 6 of 31 Title: The Curtain Hits the Cast Released: 1996-08-13 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:13:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Anon (04:20) 2 The Plan (03:40) 3 Over the Ocean (03:50) 4 Mom Says (05:20) 5 Coattails (06:55) 6 Standby (05:10) 7 Laugh (09:37) 1 Lust (04:04) 2 Stars Gone Out (04:26) 3 Prisoner (03:48) 4 Tomorrow One (04:28) 5 Same (02:07) 6 Do You Know How to Waltz? (14:39) 7 Dark (00:53) |
| The Curtain Hits the Cast : Allmusic album Review : The Curtain Hits the Cast was Lows first "major" album, taking the indie buzz over their early work to a much larger audience. The band didnt lose anything in the process -- the album shows them still firmly entrenched in the epic, slow, lazy dirges that got them started. The only noticeable changes come in the form of more elaborate production and a shift in the ratio of dark, creepy dirges to pretty, comforting ones (the latter winning out, as evidenced by the albums single, the beautiful "Over the Ocean"). Low is one of those rare bands that has created such a distinct musical world for itself that even major changes cant affect it -- just like every Cocteau Twins album is unmistakably theirs, and always good, listening to any Low recording involves revisiting a wonderful sound that cant be found anywhere else. The Curtain Hits the Cast is more accessible than much of the bands earlier work, but, since its a Low album, it isnt really that much different -- the album is probably the best introduction to Lows work. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 31 Title: Songs for a Dead Pilot Released: 1997-11-20 Tracks: 6 Duration: 35:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Will the Night (03:06) 2 Condescend (05:10) 3 Born by the Wires (13:26) 4 Be There (04:42) 5 Landlord (06:47) 6 Hey Chicago (02:40) |
 | Album: 8 of 31 Title: owL Remix Released: 1998-07-28 Tracks: 8 Duration: 52:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Down (Porter Ricks remix) (13:25) 2 Anon (Neotropics Spore remix) (05:10) 3 Over the Ocean (Tranquility Bass 91 Party dance mix: M. Kandel feat. J. Paul Redman Wind Ensemble) (06:39) 4 Laugh (DJ Vadims Vox-Reverse Tele remix) (05:44) 5 Anon (Neotropics Pollen remix) (05:12) 6 Do You Know How to Waltz? (Neotropics Vert remix) (04:31) 7 Over the Ocean (Skull Valley Dubs re-remix of Tranquility Bass 91 Party dance mix) (05:45) 8 Words (Jimmy Somerville/Sally Herberts J+S mix) (06:26) |
 | Album: 9 of 31 Title: Secret Name Released: 1999-03-30 Tracks: 12 Duration: 52:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 I Remember (04:10) 2 Starfire (03:06) 3 Two‐Step (05:49) 4 Weight of Water (04:22) 5 Missouri (04:02) 6 Don’t Understand (06:57) 7 Soon (05:12) 8 Immune (03:31) 9 Lion/Lamb (04:13) 10 Days Of… (05:57) 11 Will the Night (02:23) 12 Home (02:26) |
| Secret Name : Allmusic album Review : Secret Name is unadulterated lo-fi/sadcore, semi-orchestrated pop/rock par excellence. The power trio is augmented by a string section, tympani, and piano on this beautifully understated chamber pop outing by a misunderstood Midwestern band. Mimi Parkers voice is stunning on "Weight of Water," which at times sounds like it might take flight, but naturally, it never does -- and thats not a criticism. When Parker and Alan Sparhawk duet, as on "Missouri" or "Immune," the result is as chilling as anything Gram and Emmylou ever conspired on -- though thats not to say its country-tinged, just straight from the heart. What Low do particularly well is stay grounded, close to the earth and real. The music is so warm its a literal caress from the speakers -- and thats no mean feat in their notoriously chilly genre. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 31 Title: Christmas Released: 1999-11-15 Tracks: 8 Duration: 29:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Just Like Christmas (03:07) 2 Long Way Around the Sea (04:38) 3 Little Drummer Boy (04:52) 4 If You Were Born Today (04:50) 5 Blue Christmas (03:22) 6 Silent Night (04:23) 7 Taking Down the Tree (02:44) 8 One Special Gift (01:48) |
| Christmas : Allmusic album Review : In their liner notes, Low hopes that their fans, "...will consider this our gift to you. Best wishes." Those who are already fans should be more than pleased with this little morsel. Throughout Christmas Lows trademark simplicity of instrumentation allows the listener to hear every nuance and crystalline detail. Beginning with "Just Like Christmas," we find the band at their poppiest with a drum sound and sleigh bells worthy of a restrained Phil Spector session. Mimi Parkers warm vibrato makes an irresistible mantra of the titular refrain. The album highlight "Blue Christmas" would have been doomed to a kitschy fate in most hands, but Mimi Parkers voice captures the broken-hearted melancholy of the original while eschewing any obvious Elvis references. The cover of "Silent Night" doesnt fare as well; the band fails to add anything of note to this holiday standard. Christmas also includes several songs that could alienate more secular listeners, especially "If You Were Born Today" which is chock-full of biblical references and paints an extremely despairing scenario on the fate of a contemporary Christ. Low does a rare thing in todays indie-rock milieu by refusing to survive on cynicism and worldliness alone. Whether or not one ascribes to their beliefs, the heartfelt and reverential beauty of their sound and lyrics are perfect for the holiday season. Christmas is a rich treat in a tiny package. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 31 Title: Travels in Constants, Volume 9: The Exit Papers Released: 2000 Tracks: 6 Duration: 28:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 [untitled] (03:37) 2 [untitled] (02:27) 3 [untitled] (03:22) 4 [untitled] (14:43) 5 [untitled] (03:17) 6 [untitled] (01:18) |
 | Album: 12 of 31 Title: One More Reason to Forget Released: 2000-02-01 Tracks: 8 Duration: 53:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Be There (05:35) 2 Venus (04:05) 3 Condescend (04:50) 4 Landlord (06:29) 5 Over the Ocean (04:54) 6 Do You Know How to Waltz? (17:16) 7 Shame (05:02) 8 If You Were Born Today (Song for Little Baby Jesus) (05:25) |
| One More Reason to Forget : Allmusic album Review : Live albums have a tendency to be sterile, multi-tracked, overdubbed affairs that arent a lot different than their studio equivalents. Low avoids that trap with One More Reason to Forget, which was recorded in a church using room microphones, thereby capturing the sound not only of the band but of the room -- an old church -- as well. One More Reasons track listing is a testament to Lows ability to change gears during a set. Sure, most of the songs are quite slow and pretty, but based on these seven tracks, they can hardly be called samey. From the purely pretty ("Venus") to the outright experimental and intense (the 17-minute "Do You Know How to Waltz?"), the band proves that it can more than make up for lack of tempo changes with a group of lovely, vibrant songs performed to perfection. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 31 Title: Bombscare EP Released: 2000-06-12 Tracks: 4 Duration: 16:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Bombscare (04:30) 2 Hand So Small (03:37) 3 So Easy (So Far) (03:51) 4 Way Behind (04:59) |
 | Album: 14 of 31 Title: Paris 99: Anthony, Are You Around? Released: 2001 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:17:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Home (03:43) 2 Starfire (03:26) 3 No Need (04:00) 4 Weight of Water (05:11) 5 Immune (03:48) 6 Rope (07:12) 7 Two-Step (06:26) 8 Violence (05:51) 9 Blue Christmas (04:08) 10 Over the Ocean (04:04) 11 Hey Chicago (02:41) 12 Joan of Arc (03:33) 13 Soon (08:03) 14 I Remember (05:57) 15 Lazy (06:06) 16 Will the Night (03:28) |
| Paris '99: Anthony, Are You Around? : Allmusic album Review : Named after a friend of the band who was instrumental in bringing them to Paris, where this live album was recorded, Anthony, Are You Around? is a more representative account of a live experience with Low when compared to their first official bootleg, the diaphanous One More Reason to Forget. Though the vocals take up a little more than their fair share of the mix (which isnt really a distraction, given the spot-on performance of Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk), the band picked a superlative set to release. With a few refreshingly left-field selections from the bands catalog finding their way onto the set list, all of the subtlety and energy of their best gigs is preserved here. Unfortunately, Anthony, Are You Around? is only available as an import outside of Japan. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 31 Title: Things We Lost in the Fire Released: 2001-01-21 Tracks: 13 Duration: 53:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Sunflower (04:39) 2 Whitetail (05:03) 3 Dinosaur Act (04:13) 4 Medicine Magazines (04:33) 5 Laser Beam (02:54) 6 July (05:35) 7 Embrace (05:37) 8 Whore (04:23) 9 Kind of Girl (03:30) 10 Like a Forest (02:27) 11 Closer (05:06) 12 [untitled] (00:49) 13 In Metal (04:19) |
| Things We Lost in the Fire : Allmusic album Review : Over the course of their career, Lows glacially beautiful music has gradually melted into something much more accessible and intimate. The thaw culminates on Things We Lost in the Fire; despite its brooding title, its the groups loveliest, most approachable collection of songs yet. Voluptuous strings, softly fuzzy guitars, and propulsive percussion suffuse songs like the sweetly melancholy opener "Sunflower" and the slo-mo pop of "Dinosaur Act" and "July" with a warmth and direction that Lows best work has always hinted at. Even the albums darkest moments, such as the tense, implosive "Whitetail," have more emotional urgency, heightened by Alan and Mimis close, brooding harmonies. Yet Mimis airy solo on the spare, undulating "Laser Beam" is equally spine tingling. Things We Lost in the Fire also features more of Lows understated stylistic experiments: The slightly jazzy harmonies and tempo of "Medicine Magazines" add a bit of swing to the groups usually steady rhythms, while "Kind of Girl" delves into earthy yet ethereal chamber folk. Breathtakingly gorgeous moments, such as "Like a Forest"s pealing strings and poignant melody, and "Whore"s build from delicate harmonies into a gently triumphant swell of guitars, vocals, and sparkling percussion reaffirm that Low have perfected and refined their sound. The finale, "In Metal," evolves from a melancholy ballad into one of the groups sunniest, most kinetic songs, mirroring the overall transformation of their music. A perfect match for its late-winter release date, Things We Lost in the Fires slowly rising warmth and subtly hopeful tone not only make this Lows most cohesive, compelling collection, but one of 2001s best albums. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 31 Title: k. / Low Released: 2001-04-24 Tracks: 4 Duration: 13:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Regular Girl (03:53) 2 Those Girls (03:09) 3 Venus (Time Stereo dub version) (03:52) 4 Were We to Dance (Time Stereo Does This Hurt mix) (02:22) |
 | Album: 17 of 31 Title: Songs for a Dead Pilot / Christmas Released: 2001-05-10 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:05:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Will the Night (03:06) 2 Condescend (05:10) 3 Born by the Wires (13:26) 4 Be There (04:42) 5 Landlord (06:47) 6 Hey Chicago (02:40) 7 Just Like Christmas (03:08) 8 Long Way Around the Sea (04:38) 9 Little Drummer Boy (04:52) 10 If You Were Born Today (04:50) 11 Blue Christmas (03:22) 12 Silent Night (04:23) 13 Taking Down the Tree (02:44) 14 One Special Gift (01:48) |
 | Album: 18 of 31 Title: In the Fishtank, Volume 7 Released: 2001-05-22 Tracks: 6 Duration: 30:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I Hear... Goodnight (03:10) 2 Down by the River (09:37) 3 Invitation Day (05:00) 4 When I Called Upon Your Seed (03:55) 5 Cody (04:06) 6 Lordy (04:20) |
 | Album: 19 of 31 Title: Trust Released: 2002-09-23 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:04:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 (That’s How You Sing) Amazing Grace (07:14) 2 Canada (03:45) 3 Candy Girl (04:37) 4 Time Is the Diamond (05:30) 5 Tonight (04:05) 6 The Lamb (07:12) 7 In the Drugs (04:25) 8 Last Snowstorm of the Year (02:16) 9 John Prine (07:54) 10 Little Argument With Myself (03:04) 11 La La La Song (03:25) 12 Point of Disgust (03:25) 13 Shots & Ladders (07:51) |
| Trust : Allmusic album Review : As the follow-up to Lows universally acclaimed Things We Lost in The Fire, Trust comes with a set of expectations that might be impossible to meet. To the bands credit, Low doesnt just rehash the territory they covered on their previous album; instead, Trust goes in several different directions, mixing dark, sweeping epics with smaller, unpretentious songs and eclectic productions (courtesy of Tchad Blake) and arrangements. Its Lows most diverse work yet, but as it turns out, also their most uneven, which is somewhat surprising considering how their previous album was both consistently inventive and familiar. The chilly, almost ominous tone that pervades Trust is also something of a surprise, compared to the relatively optimistic Things We Lost in the Fire -- the album-opener, "(Thats How You Sing) Amazing Grace," subverts one of the most reassuring hymns, offering only the cold comfort of twangy guitars and Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parkers close, tentative harmonies. The band follows that song with "Canada," which, with its dense, fuzzed-out guitars and propulsive drums, is the most rock song theyve ever done, and especially unique considering the electronic leanings Low displayed awhile ago. Most of Trust follows this pattern, alternating a slow, sinuous song with a brighter or lighter one. When this chiaroscuro approach works, its impressive, but more often than not, it doesnt quite come off. Though some of the albums darker songs are compelling, such as the soulful, brooding "Time Is the Diamond," "Little Argument With Myself," and the droning finale "Shots and Ladders," a few are just too long and dirgey. "I Am the Lamb," an unusually anguished song even for Low, is too subdued to sustain attention at just over seven minutes, despite its slow-burning, funereal menace; likewise, "John Prine" has a doomed grandeur to it, but its eight-minute length doesnt pay off. On the other hand, Trusts lighter moments feel like breaths of fresh air compared to the more oppressive songs -- the fragile, trippy prettiness of Parkers "Tonight" and the sweet, campfire-ready "La La La Song" are equally beautiful and unpretentious, and all the more appealing because of that. Its not until the second half of Trust that it really gets off the ground, but once it does, it makes the lengthy preamble worthwhile. The subtle harmonica and banjo flourishes on "In the Drugs" and the Phil Spector-esque production on "Last Snowstorm of the Year" mix Lows steadfast melodic sensibilities with Blakes colorful approach, while "Point of Disgust"s beautiful vocals and simple, piano-driven arrangement showcase the bands spareness at its best. While Trust is uneven, its high points still outweigh the occasional slip into boring, dirgey territory. Fans will certainly agree that a slightly disappointing Low album still has more going for it than most other releases. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 31 Title: The Great Destroyer Released: 2004 Tracks: 13 Duration: 52:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Monkey (04:19) 2 California (03:23) 3 Everybody’s Song (03:55) 4 Silver Rider (05:03) 5 Just Stand Back (03:04) 6 On the Edge Of (03:49) 7 Cue the Strings (03:30) 8 Step (03:18) 9 When I Go Deaf (04:41) 10 Broadway (So Many People) (07:14) 11 Pissing (05:08) 12 Death of a Salesman (02:28) 13 Walk Into the Sea (02:56) |
| The Great Destroyer : Allmusic album Review : Over the years, Low have been on labels as diverse as Kranky and Virgin offshoot Vernon Yard, worked with distinctive producers like Kramer and Steve Albini, and have managed to adapt their sound without losing any of their identity. All of this applies to Great Destroyer, the bands first album for Sub Pop and their first collaboration with producer Dave Fridmann. Fridmanns detailed sound is a far cry from either Kramer or Albinis minimalist tendencies, but his work here shows that Low can sound as good in elaborate settings as they do in simple ones: "Monkey"s intricate layers of distorted drums, organ, and guitar have an unusual depth, and the synth strings and heartbeat-like electronic drums on "Cue the Strings" just add to the intimacy and subtlety of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parkers harmonies. Ironically enough, Great Destroyer is by far Lows most polished and accessible-sounding album, even more so than their quasi major-label output. That may turn off purists yearning for I Could Live in Hopes simplicity, but aside from the bigger sound, theres something for almost every kind of Low fan on the album: chilly, brooding songs ("Pissing," "Everybodys Song"), gentle but powerful songs ("On the Edge Of," "Silver Rider") and gorgeous epics ("Broadway (So Many People)"). The groups touted rock direction offers some of Great Destroyers strongest, and weakest, moments. "California"s soaring warmth has odd but appealing early- to mid-90s alt pop sheen to it, sounding a bit like Girlfriend-era Matthew Sweet played at half speed. However, "Just Stand Back" and "Step" are somewhat clunky and contrived, with the production overwhelming the songs. The tracks about aging and acceptance -- a major theme on Great Destroyer -- feel much more genuine, particularly "When I Go Deaf," another of the bands bittersweet and slightly disturbing songs like "In Metal." "Death of a Salesman," a short, stripped-down tale of whats left behind with age, is also affecting; though an album full of songs like these might be too much, theyre wonderfully intimate glimpses. "Walk Into the Sea" provides a relatively uplifting -- if not happy -- ending to this thoughtful, graceful album, but at this point, its difficult to expect anything less from Low. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 31 Title: A Lifetime of Temporary Relief: 10 Years of B-Sides & Rarities Released: 2004-07-19 Tracks: 56 Duration: 3:58:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lullaby (demo) (10:06) 2 Cut (demo) (05:41) 3 Heartbeat (04:08) 4 Peanut Butter Toast and American Bandstand (02:23) 5 Tired (05:11) 6 I Started a Joke (04:28) 7 The Plan (demo) (02:50) 8 Prisoner (demo) (06:10) 9 Prisoner (03:48) 10 Tomorrow One (04:28) 11 Turning Over (07:49) 12 Bright (01:45) 13 Walk You Out (04:46) 14 Tear Down (04:48) 15 Standby (05:11) 16 David & Jude (01:22) 17 Cheek (03:24) 1 Venus (03:44) 2 Boyfriends & Girlfriends (06:06) 3 Surf (02:31) 4 No Need (version 1) (05:03) 5 Be There (08:28) 6 Lift (05:45) 7 Joan of Arc (03:21) 8 Long Long Long (03:50) 9 Lion/Lamb (demo) (03:50) 10 Will the Night (demo) (02:47) 11 Last Breath (04:47) 12 Joan of Arc (20 Below mix) (03:25) 13 Old Man Song (03:48) 14 Try Try Try (00:37) 15 Lord, Can You Hear Me? (06:23) 16 Venus (Time Stereo Dub mix) (03:51) 17 Those Girls (Song for Nico) (03:06) 18 [silence] (02:50) 19 Words (live, Misfits style) (02:50) 20 Turn (live, Misfits style) (01:03) 21 Over the Ocean (live, Misfits style) (01:36) 1 I Remember (03:22) 2 Kindly Blessed (02:17) 3 Blue-Eyed Devil (05:02) 4 Sleep at the Bottom (04:54) 5 When You Walked (03:55) 6 Back Home Again (05:20) 7 Don’t Drop the Baby (04:02) 8 Surfer Girl (03:35) 9 Blowin’ in the Wind (03:49) 10 Open Arms (04:02) 11 …I Love (02:45) 12 Carnival Queen (05:13) 13 Overhead (04:32) 14 Don’t Carry It All (04:13) 15 Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me (03:58) 16 Because You Stood Still (05:33) 17 Fearless (06:20) 18 Shots & Ladders 2 (06:47) |
| A Lifetime of Temporary Relief: 10 Years of B-Sides & Rarities : Allmusic album Review : While many artists release B-sides and rarities that are often little more than curiosities, the Duluth, Minnesota band Low consistently issued excellent non-album tracks on various singles and compilations during the course of its first 10 years together (1993-2003). For an indie group with such a seemingly limited palette--male/female vocals, guitar, bass, and spare percussion--the trio is surprisingly dynamic, with songs ranging from trademark slow, minimal pieces to gentle folk tunes to, yes, even punked-out rock numbers. Of the 50-plus tracks featured here, more than a dozen are covers, ranging from a reverb-laden take on Wires "Heartbeat" to an intentionally bad rendition of Journeys "Open Arms," with tunes by the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, the Smiths, Spacemen 3, and others scattered throughout the collection. Both the quality and wealth of material here is staggering--not only is this three-CD/one-DVD set essential for any Low fan, but its sure to convert those curious about this beloved post-rock ensemble. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 31 Title: 2004-11-24: Session Planet Claire, Aligre FM 93.1, Paris, FR Released: 2004-11-24 Tracks: 5 Duration: 22:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Just Stand Back (03:19) 2 Monkey (04:29) 3 Silver Rider (05:16) 4 Pissing (05:48) 5 California (03:39) |
 | Album: 23 of 31 Title: Tonight the Monkeys Die: Low Remixed Released: 2006-04-24 Tracks: 6 Duration: 27:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Monkey (04:21) 2 Monkey (Fog remix) (04:43) 3 Monkey (Crew Jones remix) (02:57) 4 Monkey (Stephin Merritt remix) (03:56) 5 Monkey (Bob Mould remix) (07:21) 6 Monkey (The Count remix) (04:19) |
 | Album: 24 of 31 Title: Drums and Guns Released: 2007-03-20 Tracks: 13 Duration: 41:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Pretty People (03:00) 2 Belarus (03:17) 3 Breaker (02:53) 4 Dragonfly (03:44) 5 Sandinista (02:22) 6 Always Fade (03:57) 7 Dust on the Window (04:12) 8 Hatchet (02:18) 9 Your Poison (01:13) 10 Take Your Time (04:17) 11 In Silence (02:46) 12 Murderer (03:43) 13 Violent Past (03:37) |
| Drums and Guns : Allmusic album Review : A stark retreat from the relatively sunny sound of The Great Destroyer, Drums and Guns is, as its title suggests, inspired by the war in Iraq. True to the spirit of Lows other work, the outrage and regret expressed by these songs is just as timeless as it is timely, lamenting that war still exists as much as it addresses this particular war. And, while Drums and Guns emotions and lyrics are complex (and on songs like "Murderer," with its "seems like you could use another fool," they dont pull any punches), its sound is often devastatingly spare and simple. Its almost hard to believe that the band worked with David Fridmann on this album as well as The Great Destroyer -- where that album was lush and overflowing with sonic tangents, Drums and Guns sound is raw and restricted to just a few key sounds that underscore its themes. Fittingly, most of the album emphasizes percussion; whether its the martial-yet-jazzy beat that drives "Sandinista" or the somber, almost industrial thud of "Dragonfly," this approach keeps the songs intimate, powerful, and uniquely modern-sounding. Organ also plays a key role on Drums and Guns, particularly on "Breaker," where it magnifies the anguish of lyrics like "my hand just kills and kills," and "Violent Past," where its massive sound closes the album by swallowing the listener in a cathedral of distortion. Aside from this song and the similarly epic "In Silence," most of Drums and Guns is gently but insistently tense, like a nagging conscience: "Take Your Time"s looped church bells and "Belarus" ghostly harmonies are bleakly, uncompromisingly beautiful. Low lightens up a little on the albums middle stretch, with "Hatchet," a plea for peace thats surprisingly playful ("lets bury the hatchet like the Beatles and the Stones"), and "Dust on the Window," where Mimi Parkers sweet voice sounds inherently comforting even as she wonders, "where can a girl get a meal?" Despite these bright spots, this is easily -- and understandably -- Lows darkest album since Trust. Unlike that album, however, Drums and Guns never feels dragged down by its weighty subject matter. Its a lean, potent work, and even if its not one of Lows most superficially pleasant collections of songs, its certainly among their most necessary ones. | ||
 | Album: 25 of 31 Title: Live at Eindhoven Released: 2010-12-08 Tracks: 4 Duration: 20:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Monkey (04:57) 2 Silver Rider (05:37) 3 July (05:57) 4 Laser Beam (03:52) |
 | Album: 26 of 31 Title: Cmon Acoustic Released: 2011 Tracks: 5 Duration: 19:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Try to Sleep (04:02) 2 Witches (04:28) 3 Done (02:34) 4 $20 (04:12) 5 Nightingale (04:30) |
 | Album: 27 of 31 Title: C’mon Released: 2011-04-11 Tracks: 10 Duration: 45:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Try to Sleep (04:20) 2 You See Everything (04:07) 3 Witches (04:03) 4 Done (02:54) 5 Especially Me (05:28) 6 $20 (04:11) 7 Majesty/Magic (04:13) 8 Nightingale (04:58) 9 Nothing but Heart (08:12) 10 Something’s Turning Over (03:19) |
| C’mon : Allmusic album Review : No one has ever listened to Low expecting boundless good cheer, but the dour beauty of their best work -- Secret Name, Things We Lost in the Fire, and Trust -- made something deeply rewarding out of the fragile sorrow of their spare melodies and Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parkers voices. However, the bigger and more sonically diverse sound of Lows two albums with producer Dave Fridmann, The Great Destroyer and Drums and Guns, tended to reinforce the increasingly dark and chaotic tone of the groups songwriting, and what once seemed quietly sad now seemed more than a bit troubling. So its both surprising and reassuring that Lows ninth studio album, Cmon, is also the most hopeful music theyve released in quite some time. With the lovely tranquility of the opening tune, "Try to Sleep," and the easy charm of "You See Everything" (which sounds like some lost gem of mid-‘70s soft rock), Cmon is as languid as ever for Low while at the same time suggesting these musicians are looking for some light at the end of the tunnel. Cmon was co-produced and mixed by Matt Beckley, who has previously worked with Katy Perry, Avril Lavigne, and Vanessa Hudgens; hes an odd choice to work with Low, but thankfully, hes not afraid to let the albums darker and more contemplative songs sound as dramatic as they should, while adding just the right touch of polish on "Especially Me" and "Somethings Turning Over," where the pop undercurrents that often run beneath Sparhawk and Parkers songs bob to the surface. (Beckley also does fine work with Sparhawk and Parkers vocals, which are in splendid form here.) Cmon, like Lows albums with Fridmann, stands apart from the stark minimalism of this bands earlier music, with a number of additional musicians contributing to the sessions (including Wilco guitarist Nels Cline and violinist Caitlin Moe), but this material more successfully adds dynamics and color to Lows melodies while retaining the power of their elemental approach. The dark clouds that have haunted Low are still clearly visible on "Witches" and "$20," but the slow, noisy build to the climax of "Nothing But Heart" is a testament to the very real heart and soul behind their music, and Cmon, while well short of sunny, is an album devoted to the search for answers amidst the darkness, and its a powerful, deeply moving work from a truly singular band. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 31 Title: Plays Nice Places Released: 2012-11-28 Tracks: 6 Duration: 28:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Words (06:12) 2 Waiting (03:43) 3 Sunflowers (04:11) 4 Witches (03:56) 5 Pissing (06:16) 6 Murderer (03:45) |
 | Album: 29 of 31 Title: The Invisible Way Released: 2013-03-19 Tracks: 11 Duration: 41:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Plastic Cup (03:01) 2 Amethyst (05:20) 3 So Blue (04:23) 4 Holy Ghost (03:06) 5 Waiting (02:38) 6 Clarence White (03:47) 7 Four Score (02:56) 8 Just Make It Stop (04:08) 9 Mother (02:52) 10 On My Own (05:43) 11 To Our Knees (03:08) |
| The Invisible Way : Allmusic album Review : An institution of slowcore, one of indie rocks more bittersweet subsets, Low began making huge and haunted sounds out of the most minimal means in the early 90s. The Invisible Way finds the trio 20 years into its craft and returning to parts of its roots while at the same time branching into new sounds. The most noticeable shifts in the bands sound come with the production of Wilcos Jeff Tweedy, working with the band for the first time here. While much of Lows work clung to a formula of reverb and echo that their earliest records took to extremes, the 11 songs here are roomy but not obscured by cavernous sounds. Instead, tracks like "Holy Ghost" and "Amethyst" glow with an earthy sheen, finding their spaciousness more in subtle touches of acoustic instruments and perfectly placed accents of guitar than post-production techniques. The songwriting here harks back somewhat to the understated pastoral majesty of early Low records like Long Division and The Curtain Hits the Cast, with the band creating mysterious and lush beauty by slowing down and lingering over long, thoughtful chord changes and glimmering harmonies. Following more aggressive sidesteps in the bands discography like 2005s The Great Destroyer and 2007s bleak and cacophonous Drums and Guns, the return to basics is refreshing, and the even more naked production is a perfect complement to the songs. Drummer/vocalist Mimi Parker sings lead on an unprecedented five songs on this album. Her layered harmonies, pristine but never brittle, make songs like "So Blue" and "Four Score" stand out, at once familiar to Lows melancholic grandeur but with a new confidence not heard before. Parkers sure-footed vocals anchor the Yo La Tengo-channeling upbeat push of standout track "Just Make It Stop," delivering desperate lines over hopeful melodic chord shifts. Guitarist/vocalist Alan Sparhawk continues his part of the bands evolution as well, offering quizzical and sometimes meandering lyrics for tracks like "Plastic Cup" and "Clarence White," both of which are epic in contrast to the single-line couplets that defined earlier Low albums. With its brilliant production values and carefully curated arrangements, The Invisible Way shows a band decades into making music but still in a very real state of evolution. While not quite a career-definitive statement, much like the aforementioned Yo La Tengo, Wilco, Belle & Sebastian, or any of the early-90s bands still exploring their sound, Low give us a definitive chapter for where they are presently, and present it with more clarity and joy than weve heard from them in some time. | ||
 | Album: 30 of 31 Title: Ones and Sixes Released: 2015-09-11 Tracks: 12 Duration: 57:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Gentle (05:06) 2 No Comprende (04:59) 3 Spanish Translation (04:18) 4 Congregation (03:51) 5 No End (02:49) 6 Into You (03:58) 7 What Part of Me (03:09) 8 The Innocents (04:23) 9 Kid in the Corner (04:32) 10 Lies (04:16) 11 Landslide (09:50) 12 DJ (05:56) |
| Ones and Sixes : Allmusic album Review : If the relative warmth and hopefulness of 2011s Cmon and 2013s The Invisible Way had you wondering if Low were starting to get happy on us after all these years, dont fret -- 2015s Ones and Sixes shows that anxiety and grief are still the dominant emotions in Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parkers world. While Lows two previous albums boasted production and instrumental accompaniment that brought out an emotional generosity that was a real change from the cool isolation of their best-known work, for Ones and Sixes the group and producer BJ Burton have opted for a stark and chilly sound, dominated by electronic pulsebeats and waves of polished noise that give the songs an unforgiving, alien backdrop. Despite the brushed aluminum sound of much of the album, one of the greatest strengths of Lows work for Sub Pop has been the beauty of Sparhawk and Parkers vocals, with their harmonies sounding even stronger with the passage of time, and thats just as true on Ones and Sixes, as the humanity of their voices gives this music a hint of body heat and warm breath. While that enlivens some tracks like "What Part of Me," the contrast makes the Spartan production sound all the more frigid on "Congregation," "The Innocents," and "Kid in the Corner," and even though the groups guitars and keyboards are still part of the arrangements, ultimately theyre playing second fiddle to the electronics. Ones and Sixes is a brave effort that stands apart from much of Lows work, and there are certainly glimpses of their dour beauty on these 12 songs, but in the final analysis this is an album that fails more often than it triumphs. | ||
 | Album: 31 of 31 Title: Double Negative Released: 2018-09-13 Tracks: 11 Duration: 48:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Quorum (03:42) 2 Dancing and Blood (06:22) 3 Fly (05:48) 4 Tempest (04:48) 5 Always Up (05:28) 6 Always Trying to Work It Out (03:55) 7 The Son, the Sun (03:30) 8 Dancing and Fire (04:17) 9 Poor Sucker (03:35) 10 Rome (Always in the Dark) (03:32) 11 Disarray (03:52) |