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ONE WAY Recommends [Issue
#13]
Low By
Dave Lewis
The Great Destroyer
(CD
Sub Pop)
The Duluth, MN-based Low, pioneers of the “slo-core” genre, have always been able to grab listeners’ ears with music that’s barely louder than a whisper. The trio is starting to shake things up with their new LP on Sub Pop. Producer Dave Fridmann brings elaborate soundscapes to the trio’s famously low-key minimalist approach with much success. While still maintaining their haunting sound, The Great Destroyer finds the group experimenting with traditional rock sounds, and a few of the album’s tracks wouldn’t sound out of place on a ‘90s alt-rock compilation. While they may overstep their bounds a couple of times, as on the dull, repetitive rocker “Everybody’s Song,” Low mostly conjures up a welcome exercise in blending of the old and new. “Monkey” and “California” display the band at the peak of their form, deftly mixing lush harmonies, cascading guitar work, and catchy melodic riffs. Likewise, the stirring “Broadway (So Many People),” seems to continue off into infinity after the track’s resonant finale. Though some purists may be turned off by the new sound, The Great Destroyer is easily Low’s most accessible album and promises to open the band up to a larger audience.
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