Customer Reviews

I Could Live in Hope

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This record, Low's first, if from a time (1993-1994) before Low perfected their trademark formless and totally entrancing narcotic rock. The product: a perfect hybrid of intense emotion, quite beauty, and "pop" song structure. The result: a whole lot of songs that will whisper in your ear until they are encoded on your DNA. Their rock is at times simply beautiful and emotionally terrifying, and always addictive. Check out: "words", "the sea", "lazy", and the classic "(you are my) sunshine". Truly, one of the new classics!

If you like Joy Division, early New Order or The Cure, you will appreciate Low. Calm, minimal and honest arrangements support this threesome in creating an album emotionally complex and intense. Low is a band that some would say 'live up to the name' but you will find that although somewhat 'moody' or 'dark', many hours of listening to this album helps achieve a salvation emphasizing it's title. You haven't heard the song "you are my sunshine" until you have heard it performed by Low! -- Glen C.

As much as I love the group for a determined and gorgeously stark restraint, this debut contains, with rare, refreshing exception, crudely written veritable warm-up's that do little in honoring this couple's trademark haunting dynamic.

"I Could Live in Hope" was produced by former Galaxy 500 member Dean Wareham. The primary focus of Low's music is droning bass guitar that carries you along wave after wave of wonderously sad sounds. The male/female vocal combination adds to the lovely despair with lyrics that are both intellectually and emmotionally stimulating. The whole album is amazing, but I think my favorite songs are Words, Lullaby, and a cute little cover of Sunshine.

Like most people, I like to regard my taste in music as very diverse, but Low has been one of the very few bands I've consistently held dearly during all phases of my life for the past 15 years or so. Secret Name is in my all time top 5. I don't know how this album slipped through, but I didn't get it until recently. It's absolutely perfect. They struck a balance then that they have yet to return to. I continue to love their stuff, truly, but this is absolutely perfect. Incredible lyrics, rhythms that seem perfectly synchronized with rainy drives and Sunday mornings with little to do. Not that it's all entirely slow, like a lot of their albums. There are so driving rhythms, too. I couldn't recommend this album more highly.

This album sets the template for the Low sound in a strong debut. The arrangements are about as minimal as Low can get. This album contains a number of Low classics (Words, Fear, Sea.) Unfortunately, compared to Low's more recent work, this album suffers from unrelenting reverb (producer Kramer's trademark.) While any fan obviously must own a copy, newcomers are best advised to check out the stronger, more recent releases.

This is, for me, the best Low album ever!
Maybe it has to do with the time i heard it for the first time... i don't know!
And maybe there are greater songs in other record, but this is the far most well acheived one in terms on concept and as a whole pack of songs that slide from one to another gracefully and gently! just like the lyrics are gently given to you... almost leeding you to forget what they are about... until you start listening to them... really listenin to them, and the you realize that there is no oother way of saying those things!
I don't know if Low copuld live in hope, but they sure made me live with it for a long time!

13 years since this album was first created a couple of years since I first heard it, I come on to Amazon and look up Low and get 'the great destroyer', 'drums and guns' etc.........I must say I enjoyed their more recent endeavours but their first release in 1994 'i could live in hope' is superior in many ways.

Very low key, honesty, and in no way seeks to be listened to...it needs to be listened to. This is an example of something that is great about bands first albums they are raw and true...and this is no exception.

This is an album that you can come back too and realize again and again that it is their best.

Highly recommended.

Low is definitely how I would describe this band. There music is very sinister in a dark and eerie way.Tracks like "words", "slide",and "lazy" are definite high points of a superb album. This band hails from a dark little town in minnesota called duluth. I have visited this place and now I always connect this band to this eerie little town. Worth a listen for sure.

all of the songs might sound similar at first but the more i listened to this album the more i liked it. Lazy, Rope, Lullaby, Words are excellent songs. i had this cd on repeat for a week and never got tired of it. beautiful blurry music like having tears in your ears. male and female vocals in harmony. nothing extraneous.