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Low: The Great Destroyer
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For the past decade, slowcore specialists Low have been releasing simmering, smoldering, contemplative albums that, more often than not, stimulated and shepherded their respective movement. After devoting over ten years to creating minimalist music, Alan Sparhawk (guitars/vocals), Mimi Parker (percussion/vocals), and Zak Sally (bass) have bundled up all of the residual emotion that accumulated over that time and released it in the monumental The Great Destroyer (out January 25, 2005) 180 degree change of direction masterpiece. Where anger, resentment, frustration, and pain formerly hid beneath the surface of tensely strained music, Low now unabashedly reveals all through gritty lyrics, crunchy instrumentation, and a gorgeous assortment of Sparhawk and Parker vocal performances. The result is an exceptionally engaging follow-up that provides a perfect complement to Low's previous releases.
Low's diehard minimalist fans will recognize a fundamental shift in style from the first seconds in the opening track; 'Monkey' kicks the album off with a raucous onslaught of keys and drums that completely diverge from their standard form. Sparhawk and Parker present the first of many entrancing vocal duos with the haunting repetition of "tonight you will be mine." In "Just Stand Back,' Low changes pace with a song that feels like an excursion into Tom Petty-like roots rock. The guitar is immediately catchy, and the song as a whole provides the most easily accessible hooks, but it does lack some longevity. After a few times through the album, I found myself jumping ahead to the following song a borderline neo-psych beauty titled "On the Edge of." Electric guitars laced with flange-like dreaminess are accompanied by floating vocalsÉ and then the chorus hits. In a case of understated immensity, the instrumentation backs off to make room for some of the richest harmonies imaginable. Sparhawk and Parker sing with voices that ring like a cello (Sparhawk) and a violin (Parker). The song is my favorite, and represents the best of Low's stylistic transformation.
While none of the album really resembles Low's prior work, 'When I Go Deaf,' 'Death of a Salesman,' and 'Silver Rider' all incorporate a slower, more intimate atmosphere. 'When I Go Deaf' blends their newly varied styles. After a sweet, slowed-down recollection of the sounds of the past, Low brings listeners back to the present with an ending that blasts grungy guitars and howling vocals.
After several albums dominated by slowcore and sadcore indie sensibilities, Low fans will likely be taken aback by the new sounds The Great Destroyer presents. That said, the album is nearly flawless; even the most adamantly purist fan will find it intoxicating. While 2005 has hardly begun, Low has served up what will likely be one of the best albums released this year.
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