Low – I Could Live In Hope/C’mon

Year: 1994
Genre: Slowcore, alternative

My brother and I often exchange mix CDs with each other, and it was a few months ago he included a song by a band I’d never heard of, a song he described as “another Helpless Child*”. That glorious song of the siren was Low’s Lullaby, a slow-paced and minimal expression of regret that only grows more intense through an instrumental second second half. Imagine my joy when I discovered an even better track, Words, was waiting for me on the full album.

I may have gotten a trifle obsessed actually...

Blurred, distorted, and short of a bizarre cover of Sunshine as a closer, very very pessimistic, Low’s debut album is an impactful listen. The band is often credited with pioneering the genre ‘slowcore’, a fitting name. The music is slow, sure, but it’s the way that pace is handled that gives every beat, every note, more power. Couple that with subtle echo effects and humble production, and the album has a real dreamlike quality. Sure, there’s a lethargic patch or two, but they’re easily forgiven by many breathtaking moments, such as the eerie delivery of Rope‘s simple but doom-soaked lyrics. This album is one of my favourite discoveries of the last few months, and hopefully the beginning of a long term appreciation of this band.

*Helpless Child is an incredible 15 minute epic from Swans, Soundtracks For The Blind.

.

.

Year: 2011
Genre: Alternative

Straight from the music-box melody that drives C’mon‘s lead single Try To Sleep, it’s immediately noticeable this band has grown in that seventeen year gap I’ve yet to explore. Some things haven’t changed; there’s still some vocal hooks capable of clawing some emotion up inside you, and slow guitar melodies are often leading the way. The closer, Something’s Turning Over, is another beautifully minimal track from them.

So what’s different? Well, the production is much clearer, and the instrumentation is a little busier and varied. Nothing But Heart surprised me with an electric guitar driven climax that I might have guessed would be too “big” for them. It’s a different flavour to the band, but you can still feel the roots there.

What does weary me a tad is the band’s songwriting direction. They feel a bit more ready to fall into verse/chorus song templates. I’m not saying that never works for them, and I’m not saying they always do it, but I don’t feel as many boundaries being pushed on this release. There’s also a few corny lyrics lying around; I usually skip $20 for it’s repetition of “My love is for free, my love”. Chances are I wouldn’t notice these issues nearly as much if I just wasn’t coming off the back of I Could Live In Hope, failing to live up to that is no crime, and this is still one of my most played 2011 releases.

C’mon is available through Sub Pop Records in mp3, CD and vinyl.