Low
Logan Square Auditorium 1/27/6
Low has been a long time favorite of mine ever since I was in college and picked up Things We Lost in the Fire. I remember listening to that album repeatedly, especially when stressed out with various exams and I still turn to it in times of trouble. It’s not that I don’t like Low’s most recent albums The Great Destroyer and Trust. They both have the same number of moments of delicateness and beauty, the same haunting almost angelic female/male vocals of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker. It’s just that Things We Lost in the Fire has more of an autobiographical connection and feel to it for me.
That being said, I was disappointed when they didn’t play anything off of Things We Lost in the Fire. This was the third time I had seen Low and the other two times, they played at least two tracks from that album. This time, people called out for “Sunflower” and I had the distinct feeling (I’ve had this inkling before with them) that they were just deliberately not playing requests. I almost think Alan gets a strange kick out of calling the opposite shots. Missing from the setlist was another favorite of mine, “Canada” off of their album “Trust.” That’s okay…you can’t go away too bummed from a Low show. Or…if you do walk away feeling at a loss, you feel like it’s well fitting in some ways.
Some of the highlights of the night included an eerie rendition of “When I Go Deaf,” a rocking out version of both “Monkey” and “California” and a sad despairing “That’s How You Sing Amazing Grace” and “It’s in the Drugs.” It’s also amazing what they can do sound wise with only three people. You never feel like they are overcompensating for a lack of instruments and musicians. It’s simple yet so saturated with harmony and melody you forget about all of the high tech laptop samples and over abundance of guitar effects pedals you tend to see many indie rock bands using. The three of them is simply enough and all you could want somehow. And although Alan seemed a little faltering at first, missing a few lyrics here and there, he had pulled it all together by a few songs in. You have to expect a little fragility at a Low show anyways. For heaven’s sake, think of the band’s name!
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(now playing: Sons and Daughters Love the Cup ep)