Customer Reviews

C'mon

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There is something very odd and perplexing about playing Yuletide albums all year round or on hot sunny days (e.g. - yesterday) but the great "Christmas" album by "Low" the Minnesotan slowcore masters repays regular listens and its fine quality partly reminds you of some of the themes of their new album "C'mon". In essence Low are a band who more than anything else produce the most gorgeous songs. "C'mon" was recorded at an old church in Duluth and is their ninth album in a very long career. It comes on top of this decades renaissance man Robert Plant showcasing two sparkling Low covers on his recent Band of Joy LP (Monkey and Silver Rider) and in doing so generating welcome interest in this critically lauded trio. Who cares if this album doesn't end up on sale in your local supermarket or deliver gold records for the trophy cabinet, what Low do is grace music lovers with the priceless service of producing music you can revere, which can soundtrack your variable life episodes and that can genuinely leave you wanting more.

On this album they have called in Nels Cline the innovative guitarist from Wilco to play on a couple of tracks including "Done" which you suspect may turn out to be one of their greatest songs with its almost 50s classic ballad feel and infused throughout by the trademark heart stopping dual vocals from Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker (it goes without saying that bassist Steve Garrington is as sure footed as ever). The album opens with the shimmering "Try to sleep" and you notice immediately the crisp production which enhances all these songs for which we must to thank Matt Beckley, a man best known for his work with the likes of Leona Lewis and Avril Lavigne (he should now be forgiven). On "Witches" there is more of the dark old Low of previous albums like the "Great Destroyer" and it combines a haunting lyric with a huge guitar backdrop. Coming hot the heals is the brooding "Especially Me" beautifully sung by Parker which also makes you wish the late great Dusty Springfield was alive to give it a turn with her trademark smokey vocals. One of the albums highlights is "$20" which has a sparse hymn like quality as Sparhawk repeatedly intones "that my love is for free" over a slower than slow reverb heavy guitar; alternatively "Nothing but heart" starts with a wall of Neil Young "Weld" era feedback which again shifts into a very low gear but slowly burns to a huge monster ballad over its eight minute plus length. Its climax is as hypnotic and dramatic as anything Low has previously produced and shows a band on top of its game. While there is nothing that can quite top this moment another song well worth a mention in dispatches is the gossamer light "Nightingale" which sounds like Beach House with electric guitars.

This band have travelled a long journey since the narcotic rock of their debut 1994s "I could live in hope" but its been one where the of musical trajectory has rarely pointed in any other direction than skyward. In the past two weeks this album has been streaming in full on the NPR website and your reviewers hit rate has been higher than a Mike Tyson fight. With well over 20 years in the business we have no right to expect an album as good as "C'mon". It is a hugely accessible and scarily assured recording which any self-respecting music lover should hunt down with the right level of understated fervour.

It's hard to believe this is like their...8th or 9th album? The unknown Minnesota band keeps chugging along with the first release in four years. I tend to listen to them more in cold weather, but I welcome a Spring release. After a few listens this reminds me of their Things We Lost In The Fire album, kind of simple...sparse. "20" is a good duet between Alan and Mimi. "Witches" is a bit more noisy than the norm, but I like it.

I get kind of tired of every third band being compared to Neil Young in some way, but that's a sound I pick up in this album. Not a bad thing of course. Most of this folking rocks. Robert Plant should dig it.

Not quite sure how this band can be so prolific while producing such fantastic music, but I certainly love the result. To my ear this work echoes "Things We Lost in the Fire" and is brighter (for Low) than "Drums and Guns" or "The Great Destroyer." Such a great listen, just buy it.

This was my first listen to the band, Low. After just one time through their new CD "C'mon", I was for sure a new fan! The more I listen to "C'mon", the more hooked I become. In fact, I have purchased and I am currently listening to one of their previous CD's, "The Great Destroyer", along with two more CD's ( "Trust" and "Drums and Guns") on order. I find Mimi Parker's voice to be beautifully charming in "Especially Me" and "You See Everything". I have to agree with one of the previous customer reviewers, that Mimi Parker sounds very much like a young Carly Simon, which is indeed a very fine compliment. The song "Nightingale" is my favorite. The richly harmonic voices of Parker and Alan Sparhawk and the soft, slow, mysterious music sets the mind and body adrift in a continual wave of sensuous intoxication. Anytime, that Parker and Sparhawk get together in song, it is pleasing to one's ears. Low's new producer, Matt Beckley, deserves to be commended for his stellar production talent. He has brought the voices and music together to form a warm and exciting CD. Low and Beckley appear to be a great fit. I look forward to hearing about another new Low CD, hopefully in the near future!

Worth a down load only. Mimi Parker's vocals and percussion on "Especially me" is the entire album! This is an awesome song lyrically and musically and well worth a down load for sure. The problem is that the rest of the album is dreary and nothing you will listen to more than once.

10th studio album since 1994 from Minnesota "slowcore" band: stunningly beautiful, insistent
swells of simple, epic folk/pop that grow with a fragile and subtle grandiosity through a secretly
dark, yearning struggle of melody. Passionate bursts of aching vocals float over some gently
building, riveting washes of drone/chord rock guitar riff/strums. Includes a member of Retribution
Gospel Choir and some guest guitar from Nels Cline (Wilco). Shades of Galaxie 500, Codeine,
Spain, True Widow, Bedhead, Beach House, & Retribution Gospel Choir.

I am new to Low, having heard them on Sound Opinions a few weeks ago. C'mon is my first CD and I'm on the fence about whether I want to hear more. How much Low does one really need? Difficult to listen to them in the car (where I do most of my listening) because falling asleep to their music is a distinct possibility. OK, end of musing.

In fact some of the songs on this CD are really pretty and have gotten stuck in my head. Try to Sleep, You See Everything, Especially Me, Something's Turning Over - really gorgeous. They take their time with the harmonies and with the production, and it shows. Mimi's voice reminds me of early Carly Simon sometimes. Also there are two really good hidden tracks on the CD.

On the other hand, a couple of the tracks are just monotonous. Low is at their best when they build up to an emotional crescendo - reminds me of The Frames. Some of the songs don't go anywhere, they are more like chants. Still, some of the songs are just awesomely great. Back to my original question, I don't know how much Low I really need - but I am glad I heard this CD. Even if I can take or leave some of the tracks, I love others.

I had to give this a few listens before i fell in love with it. I was able to see them live at the CD release show and was blown away by the power of this band live. the new songs sounded great. Majesty/Magic is such an amazing track. Play it Loud.

This is the 6th album which I have bought by Low, and it is an excellent one.
Although it does not scale the heights of their masterpiece 'Things We Lost In The Fire',it is a huge improvement on their last two releases. Perhaps on their next album they could return to the hymn-like bliss of 'TWLITF'. I wish they could incorporate and draw inspiration in their songs from some more of the best melodic aspects which can be found in so many Mormon hymns,and filter it through their own minimalistic style.

Low's newest album gets them back to doing what they do best. Without the heavy production of Dave Fridmann (love you for the other albums you've done), I believe Low shines on this album. It reminds me of my favorite Low album "Trust". The opening song, "Try to Sleep" is a sweet lullaby. "Nothing But Heart" is a little over eight minutes long-starts out soft, then gradually builds to an emotional crescendo. I really believe to sum up this album, forgive me for being corny by saying this, but really Low has nothing but heart on this album. Great job and thanks!