Not a long term fan of Low tbh, I’ve only got into them over the last five years or so. This is their latest album and rather than stick with a further variation on their sound, which they have perfected over a dozen or so albums, they have chosen a radical departure. It sounds like they have grabbed a bunch of Radiohead and Burial records and maybe the Moon soundtrack and smashed them together in some sort of mad blender. Far from just a gussying-up of their sound and a bit of lazy remixing, once they had recorded the basic tracks, as far as I understand it; BJ Burton their producer, started to mangle the Sounds as soon as bare sketches of the songs were recorded. All of the songs on here survive the wreckage and the entire thing really works as an album and has a proper arc. It has moments of real beauty and repeated listens reveal ear worms not appreciated at first.
I like it. I think it’s really brave, emotional music and somehow through smashing themselves to pieces, have become even more them. Bravo!
@htm_1968 can you do the links please? I am on a train and struggling for time, bandwidth, skill and patience. Ta
There is a wonderful moment about 1:00 into the third track, Fly, when Mimi Parker’s voice comes in unprocessed after all the fuzz and sludge of the first two tracks on the album.
In many respects it reminds me of a good GY!BE album the way they keep the tension going across multiple tracks with these “payoff” moments dotted through the record.
^^This. Every time I listen to it, it delivers. The way it goes from intimate to vast and the way their vocals, however mangled draw you in is masterful. I don’t think there is a wasted moment on it honestly.
I really like this LP. I was uncertain when it was released but I think it is a brave step when you consider their last few releases. I bought this on its release so it is a 4.5/5 from me.
Not sure if I can hold out until the unprocessed bits - the fuzz/sludge just gets on my tits too much…
