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User
Reviews 2
Approval 50%
Soundoffs 3
Album Ratings 10
Last Active 11-04-21 12:10 am
Joined 08-25-11
Review Comments 48
| Low LP's Ranked
I figure the best way to start off being more active on this site is to rank the albums of my all-time favorite band Low. I don't feel like they get enough attention on here and I'd like to bring them some of that attention!
This band has been immeasurably important to me for the last few years so I want to show them some love.
Look out in the future, I'm planning on doing a ranked list of every individual Low track, but that will take some time.
Any constructive criticism on the write-ups is appreciated, I'm looking to hopefully do full reviews in the future. | | 12 |  | Low
The Invisible Way
By no means a bad album, but easily the band's weakest effort. Jeff Tweedy's production sounds crisp and organic and when it shines, it shines bright. The focus on almost exclusively acoustic instruments is a wonderful idea on paper. Unfortunately a lot of the tracks end up pretty forgettable. It's not the more folk leaning style that ruins it, just the songwriting. It's a tad uninspired. I do love the foot-stomping-hand-clapping romp of "Clarence White" though.
Favorite Tracks: Clarence White, Just Make It Stop, Plastic Cup | | 11 |  | Low
Ones and Sixes
Mysterious and sometimes breathtaking. They went the opposite direction from "The Invisible Way" this time and focused heavily on incorporating electronics into their existing style. BJ Burton's production feels a tad overblown at times for my tastes (especially coming from a Low record), which is strange considering how much his production enhanced the follow-up, Double Negative. This one feels like it's setting the stage for what was to come next. A weaker middle of the album drags it down unfortunately, but the opening three tracks easily shine the brightest. "No Comprende"'s attitude clashes nicely with the resolve of "Spanish Translation". They feel like they belong together, thematically.
Favorite Tracks: Gentle, No Comprende, Spanish Translation | | 10 |  | Low
C'Mon
Majestic, sweeping and orchestral. This album doesn't add MUCH to the Low sound, but it perfects it in many ways. Almost to a fault; it feels a tad safe for them. That said that tracks that stand out are fantastic and I would consider "Especially Me" for a top 10 or even top 5 list of my favorite Low songs. It feels like a fantastic summation of what they've accomplished up to this point in their career. Also the build on "Nothing But Heart" is breathtaking.
Favorite Tracks: Especially Me, Nothing But Heart, $20 | | 9 |  | Low
The Great Destroyer
Low's forray into a louder, alternative rock sound. The distortion is turned up and the songs have an oomph to them not previously found in their sound. It was a cool detour from their usual and it goes beyond simple distortion. The booming percussion and distorted bass on "Monkey", the keyboard driven "Cue the Strings"...little experiments abounds. Dave Fridmann's production is hit and miss for me however and "Everybody's Song" is one of my least favorite Low tracks. Still a fantastic album. Seeing "Pissing" live was a hell of an experience.
Favorite Tracks: Pissing, Just Stand Back, Walk Into the Sea | | 8 |  | Low
The Curtain Hits the Cast
Space is the first word that comes to mind. This album is the most spacious of the bunch. Many tracks drag out to incredible lengths (most notable being "Do You Know How to Waltz?") and focus heavily on buildups and climaxes. I adore the overall tone of the record and many of the tracks are favorites of mine. It feels a bit bloated though with how long it is, aimlessly wandering on tracks like "Coattails" and "Laugh" (despite the quality of said tracks). While it all pretty much tugs at the heartstrings like usual, it's length can make it difficult to get through sometimes considering they hadn't found the variety they would achieve later on.
Favorite Tracks: Over the Ocean, Do You Know How to Waltz?, Lust | | 7 |  | Low
Drums and Guns
At the time of its release, this was the biggest departure Low ever made from their sound. Putting down the guitars for most of the album, they focused heavily on loops and electronics. The minimalism was still there but what we were handed was a small set of very skeletal electronic tracks. You could call this their "Kid A" I suppose. It's also a relatively compact release, with very few of the songs exceeding 4 minutes. Some of these ideas pan out beautifully however and it contains my second favorite song by the band, "Murderer". Certain tracks though have a tendency to feel almost incomplete (see "Sandinista" or "Your Poison").
Favorite Tracks: Murderer, Violent Past, Dragonfly | | 6 |  | Low
Trust
Underrated as hell, Trust is a grand statement. After finally reaching full confidence in their sound on "Things We Lost in the Fire", they instead pushed for more experimentation. It's far from their MOST experimental but you can tell they were trying new things all over. The fuzzed out tones of "Canada", the jangly pop rock of "Last Snowstorm of the Year", the subtle banjo flourishes on "In the Drugs" among other things. It has a similar problem to The Curtain Hits the Cast, being a tad overlong (especially considering I feel this is the most dour recording they've put out), but its standouts are absolutely among their best. "A Little Argument With Myself" is my favorite Low song overall even and "(That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace" is close behind it. Just a few too many low points for it to be any higher unfortunately.
Favorite Tracks: A Little Argument With Myself, (That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace, Last Snowstorm of the Year | | 5 |  | Low
I Could Live in Hope
Hard to make a list like this without ranking this highly, however I feel it's a tad overrated due to its obvious importance and influence. The debut set the tone for what was to come with its threadbare instrumentation and delicate harmonies. The bass sounds warm and comforting for most of the record to offset the sadness of the lyrics, vocals and guitar lines. "Words" was the first song I heard by the band and it helped introduce me to one of the most important groups in my life. However it tends to "Drag" a bit for me (haha jokes), particularly in the second half and it lacks much of the variety of later records. Still fantastic through and through.
Favorite Tracks: Words, Cut, Lullaby | | 4 |  | Low
Double Negative
It's still new, but it's risen up the ranks for me quickly. By and large, the most experimental release they've put out thus far. A heavy dose of feedback and bizarre noise experiments litter the tortured and chaotic tracklisting. BJ Burton's production is what makes this album what it is, taking what would be typical Low tracks, twisting them and obscuring them. The vocals fight to be heard over the static and while it's jarring and uncomfortable, there's a strange sort of beauty to be found in moments like the stormy "Tempest" and the choppy "Disarray". Absolutely incredible.
Favorite Tracks: Dancing and Blood, Tempest, Disarray | | 3 |  | Low
Long Division
You thought "I Could Live in Hope" was slow and minimal? "Long Division" kicked it up a notch...or rather turned it down. There are times it feels like there's more space than there are notes, with songs allowing each note to ring out. I have a strong personal attachment to this album and I feel like it pushes the minimalism to its extreme while its runtime keeps it from dragging on too long. Less focus on melodic guitar lines and more on atmosphere, but I still feel it doesn't drag quite as much as "I Could Live in Hope" personally. The bell like quality of the guitar on "Stay" is sublime and the ironically titled "Violence" glistens and shines.
Favorite Tracks: Violence, Stay, See-Through | | 2 |  | Low
Secret Name
Another severely underrated album, much like "Trust". However, this one doesn't overstay its welcome. It feels like a transitional period, as the band toys with new instruments and sounds for much of the album. Nothing too revolutionary but just enough to keep you interested without sacrificing their established formula. Steve Albini's production brings a real sense of intimacy and warmth to the record that was missing especially on tracks like "Two-Step" or "Soon". I will admit I'm just a bit biased though. This was the album that finally sold me on the band as a whole. But I still believe it deserves more love and attention than it gets for being such an important album for the development of the sound that would make their masterpiece.
Favorite Tracks: Two-Step, Soon, Home | | 1 |  | Low
Things We Lost in the Fire
Often considered their magnum opus, and rightfully so. It truly sounds like the band is fully confident in their sound, finally melding together all they learned on their previous albums to make a sweeping, but melancholy epic. Still focused on minimalism, they manage to fill out their sound with strings and pianos and other instruments without destroying that framework (the strings on "Embrace" add so much to the track). Songs still feel fragile, but more fleshed out. It all feels so cohesive yet still contains enough variety to not feel same-y or drag on too long. Nearly every song is essential and as much as I hate to jump on the bandwagon, sometimes it's like that for a reason. This truly is Low at the top of their game.
Favorite Tracks: Dinosaur Act, July, Like A Forest | |
mardin65
11.11.19 | Excellent job on the write ups | mrsaturn123
11.11.19 | Thankyou! Much appreciated ! | grannypantys
11.11.19 | only really listened to 10 before but i'll give these guys a proper listen now
very readable list | Sinternet
11.11.19 | damn i agree on a lot of this, especially 2 being super underrated and murderer being one of their very best. need to do a discog jam again though to figure out how i'd actually rank them though | hadeserbonfa
11.11.19 | Great ranking. 1 is 1 and 12 is 12, no doubt. I agree with 2 and 3 being super underrated. They would probably be 5 and 4 for me, respectively. And I agree their debut is overrated, though I like it less than you do. And I'd probably swap "Trust" and "Ones and Sixes". Trust always felt like a terribly uneven record for me. Still, they never made a bad record so it's not an easy ranking to make. Again, great job! | Artuma
11.11.19 | wowww 5 is by far the best. love the effort though, this band is just magnificent | mrsaturn123
11.11.19 | Trust being so uneven is the really what holds it back for me but man, it has some amazing highlights.
But yeh, thanks for all the nice comments guys ! | DoofDoof
11.11.19 | 5, 4, 1, 2 are the top four in that order | EyesWideShut
11.12.19 | Low is one of those bands I gotta be in the mood for or all take a nap.. good nap music too. |
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