Low
A review of Low's album 'Drums and Guns'
Review Snapshot:
With Drums and Guns, their eighth release in a fourteen-year career, Low prove
that they deserve the tag of minimalist that The Great Destroyer nearly
obliterated. This album is much less dense than most of their preceding albums,
feeling like it's going to simple float apart at any minute. Despite this, a
rock hard thematic subject matter keeps the album firmly grounded.
The
CLUAS Verdict? 7 out of 10.
Full
review:
From the title and the opening line of "on soldiers, you're all gonna die", it's
forgivable to assume this album is a post-9/11 quasi-political statement.
Fortunately though, the focus of this album is not in fact on guns or war, and
no aspect is aggressive enough to fit the assumption. In fact the eyes of the
album are aimed inside, while addressing the audience at large, the "sweet
people", creating an honest and strangely exhibitionist album that thankfully
does not go quite as far as assuming itself to be symbolic.
Although Low employ the same producer as in previous albums, Drums and Guns has
a particularly home-recorded feel to it, or perhaps they took backwards step
into the early 90s when production styles were moving out of the synth-infused
eighties and into a much more sophisticated use of
electronica. However, only in
this decade could every detail, even down to the perfectly adjusted panning of
each part, be so meticulously planned to the same end. The other difference here
is the harmonic emphasis, as the seamless blending of Sparhawk's and Parker's
voices create layers that are then built on. Take for example, Your Poison: it
is exactly this full textured combination of voices which is the basis of the
song, with guitar, bass and drums entering almost totally for emphasis.
Similarly for Dragonfly: despite a fairly full-sounding backing track, the song
wholly pivots on the vocals, and the contrast between them. Lyrically,
Dragonfly, is half whimsy, half introspection, but it is this foundation in
lyrical and musical contradiction makes it a quietly powerful and screamingly
beautiful song.
In contrast then are tracks like Hachet, which has an unusually standard format
for Low, instrumental backing against a fairly ordinary melodic line. Again
though, what keeps this from falling into the trap of normality is the slightly
off-beat guitar and odd cutting out and re-entering of the guitar and bass, not
too mention the ethereal effect of Parker's voice. The idea is used again in
Murderer, with its synth intro into a drum and bass backing with increasing
tension and a constant build up that fails significantly to explode, ending with
an almost disappointingly ordinary cadence.
Drums and Guns is a complex and musically intellectual album, so much so that
it's difficult at times to know whether to enjoy it or endure it. Part of that
complexity lies in its ability to sound simple and monotonous while hiding some
sheer brilliance. However, after the fifth listen (or less or maybe more, you
really need to be in the right mood), things begin to click and you can't help
but fall in love with its dream-trip distortion and crystal-clear vocal lines.
It just goes to prove implicitly that the mark of true genius is the ability to
make it simple to understand.
Anna Murray
To buy a copy of this album on Amazon just click
here.
