Customer Reviews

Transmission

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

 

 

I was fortunate enough to see Low perform live twice and they blew me away both times. I finally got a couple of their cd's and I heard about this one and the cover of "Transmission". With the exception of Caroline 2, which is the typical ep filler, it is an interesting and powerful expression of Low's atmospheric style. The first two tracks really stand out and draw you in. Wow! The only reason I hesitate to give it five stars is because of the rest of Low's discography. The Transmission ep is a fantastic little disc that I would recommend to anyone. Be sure to listen for the unlisted sixth track.

The 3 star reviews are absolutely ridiculous, so I'm helping this sweet little EP out by giving it the score it absolutely deserves- 5 stars! With 5 breathtaking, atmospheric songs in the old Low style, this is certainly a winner in my set. Of course there is the well-composed cover of Joy Division's "Transmission" and the interesting little cover of the Supreme Dicks's "Jack Smith". Where the EP really shines is on one of the most invigorating ad emotional tracks, "Bright", which words can't describe. It's quite a feeling and a ride. Other highlights include, in contrast to the haters, "Caroline 2" and "Hands". And of course the sleeper epic, "Untitled" with 9-minutes of track at the end is so worth the wait! Well, what do you know? EVERY song on this 5 song release is worth a good listen to! I highly recommend!

Small short length capturing the hugely influential slow-core band around a modest sound familiar to great early work Long Division. As beautifully disciplined as the band is, and as much as I am a personal fan, there isn't a whole lot to recommend to casual listeners. The only real highlight for me comes not even with the praised Joy Division cover, but the following more sublime track. The rest are predictably moody, but hardly hits any deep ranges we expect from the committed trio.

To put it in non-muscial terms, I've always found Low's music to be about patience and reward, and the rewards are great with Low's wonderful cover of Joy Division's "Transmission." From the simple, haunting beginning to the soaring finale, Low evokes the sound of Joy Division while making the song their own. The rest of the EP, however, is a test of patience: seemingly an attempt to reduce their musical minimalism to a tedious academic exercise. Caroline 2, for example, gives us the long build-up of Long Division's Caroline (but drawn out to absurd lengths), while denying us the original's cathartic release. The other songs are similarly a drag. But hey! This is an EP - get it for that great cover; you can ignore the rest.