Yes, much of this work can be read as an erosion of our current societal norms and surviving overexposure to disheartening headlines and intimations of apocalyptic settings, but there’s a sense of brightness buried throughout Double Negative if you look hard enough.Īll of the songs crackle, distort, break, rebuild, expand and imbue restoration - a counteract to the disillusionment we are living with daily. This is no small feat, especially for a band this seasoned. The warped, deconstructed sound is as dumbfounding as it is a captivating, hypnotic affair amidst a rubble of noise. What results is something akin to playing an old, decaying Super 8 film real of childhood memories - it may feel familiar and comforting, but the details seem just out of of reach, leaving you feeling like something’s amiss. It finds the band aiming for a pointed, visceral reaction and lived-in rebuke to the troubles that plague our minds. Taking a vast stylistic departure from their early work, the record finds the band expanding upon their proven melodic template, distilling the songs to sound like decompositions and corrupted twists of their more resplendent past. This is certainly true on their latest release, Double Negative. The strength of their songwriting has proven that while the window dressing may change, the band remains steadfast in their plaintive, often understated vision of music’s possibilities. It’s a tension that has served them well, and although Low hasn’t quite obtained household name status, the band has consistently tinkered away, gaining praises from big names like Robert Plant (who recorded a version of Low’s “Monkey” and “Silver Rider”), Jeff Tweedy, and Radiohead. If anything, their slow-burning, minimal aesthetic has proven that what’s missing is just as impactful as what is placed in the arrangement. From the bare, open instrumentation of their 1994 debut to the more conventional, piano-driven sound of 2013’s The Invisible Way, Low has shifted their landscapes gracefully through their 25-year career. Take a look through their back catalog and you’ll find templates rich with harmony and space. There’s something incorporeal about the way husband and wife duo Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker meander through song structures, sonics, and melodies.
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