Low are the ultimate punk band. Not in sound, but in theory. The idea of punk is to push what is expected and challenge listeners to open their minds to perceiving music in new ways. When Low formed in the 90's, there were a number of bands imitating the the sound of the original punk movement. Copying the fast tree chord rock song was very punk in the late 70's when the status quo was ostentatious rock epics, disco, and wimpy ballads. The grit and energy was original and new. Twenty years later, not so much.
Anyway, Low took the spirit of of punk and and pushing against the flow. When fast and loud and dumb were the big thing, they decided to form a band that would be slow, quiet, and smart. There songs were dead slow and painfully soft and haunting. Repeated listens would reveal the beauty of the simple harmonies and human imperfections.
Their sound developed and changed over time, but the impact has been constant. In 2007 they released Drums and Guns with the song Breaker on it. The organ hums and the track is carried by a simple hand clap, but then the lyrics are violent and even scary. the song is so provocative in its ability to take your mind all sorts of places. Then there is the video... This is one of the few videos that actually adds to the artistic impact of a song. Like Low themselves, the video is simple and straight forward, but the video creates such a level of unease that perfectly suits the song despite the fact that the content has nothing to do with the lyrics.
Breaker
Their Christmas album is one of my favorites as well. The time to bust it out is near.
1 comment:
I'm looking forward to busting out my 98 Degrees and Elvis Christmas albumns. :-)
Post a Comment