Word: bandness
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...response to the noise-driven, retaliatory grunge music that dominated airwaves at the time, Low stripped its sound down to barely a whisper, producing fragile songs for a series of independent labels. Comprised of husband-wife team Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker, along with bassist Zak Sally, the band continues to produce songs that tell of a secret turmoil. Probably the most recognizable pioneer of “slowcore” (a sonically lethargic genre that also includes acts like Bedhead and Codeine), Low’s sad songs have long served as an emotional outlet for fans; only recently...
...sound, and certainly not a disappointment to old fans, The Great Destroyer, which Low released in January, has a different feel to it than many of their past albums. Coming after a whirlwind near-breakup followed by a breakthrough opening for Radiohead, Destroyer presents some novel sounds for the band, making equal use of melody, silence and reverb-driven dissonance. Still, it is very much a Low album, and the brief moments of near-convention fit perfectly with the extended silences and moping harmonies that make up the rest. There seems to be a pop sensibility peeking out from behind...
...last week’s Somerville Theatre show, the band showcased many of the tracks from the new record, delivering them with their famously hypnotic flow. Guitarist and singer Sparhawk held notes for as long as he could, breathing out words of love, parenthood, and religion to an all-ages audience, with his wife (Parker) providing beautiful harmonizing tones and compellingly simple percussion beneath. Bassist Sally adopted an acoustic guitar for a few of the songs in a Destroyer-heavy...
...band opened with perhaps the best-known single off their new album, “Death of a Salesman,” a delicate song reminiscent of slow They Might Be Giants tunes, as Sparhawk sighed out haunting lyrics like, “The future is prisons and math.” After two more Destroyer songs, Low delved languidly into a song from their previous release, the dark Trust, called “(That’s How You Sing) Amazing Grace,” a delicate song that bares the gritty spirituality of the group...
...most exciting moments of Bazan’s set came when he announced a cover of a Neil Young song (“Revolution Blues,” from his classic album On the Beach). As the band began to play, Sparhawk surreptitiously emerged from behind the curtain to join the band in this cover, showcasing his louder, wilder side on some tremolo-tastic guitar accompaniment. Seeing the normally subdued Sparhawk thrashing briefly on his guitar evoked his side-project the Black-Eyed Snakes, for which Sparhawk rattles out aggressive blues guitar and wails through an old harmonica microphone...