Low - HEY WHAT (2021) (1 Viewer)

[Benny Cake]

I'm confusing Low and Yo la tengo.

Low La Tengo

 

[GO]

Ok! Second listen. On speakers. I like it.

Incredible production. I'd be very impressed indeed to hear if this was recorded live. Not that it matters. Anyway, I've never heard any music quite like it before thats for sure. Serious amounts of both talent and professionalism on display.. very AMERICAN.

Some great material. The least favourite of mine was Don't Walk Away. I don't care for that at all.

I will definitely listen to it again tomorrow.

Will it enter rotation? I doubt it.

3/5

 

[rettucs]

One of my immediate reactions to most Low albums is, 'needs more Mimi'. This one definitely needs more Mimi. She doesn't have the lead vocal on any tracks?

I like Alan's voice, but its not a patch on Mimi's.

 

[dudley]

She's got lead vocal on 3 of 'em, "All night", "Hey" and "More"

 

[rettucs]

ah, I've only had it on in the background so far. I'll try and tune in a bit more closely on today's listens.

3 still not enough though

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

On my second listen and I really like it. It's obviously a progression on from Double Negative and quite different from their earlier phases. I hear a lot of My Bloody Valentine and Fennesz in the guitars, it's a far cry from Trust, that's for sure. I'm surprised so many people are surprised by the sound though, didn't we go through this with The Great Destroyer ("Too much rock!"), Drums + Guns ("Why so many drum machines?"), and Double Negative ("Too noisy!").

One of my immediate reactions to most Low albums is, 'needs more Mimi'. This one definitely needs more Mimi. She doesn't have the lead vocal on any tracks?

I like Alan's voice, but its not a patch on Mimi's.

Good idea for a playlist, just Mimi songs. Weirdly, I couldn't find a list of all her songs online - you'd think the internet nerds would have catalogued that by now.

 

[Lili Marlene]

To my knowledge I have never listened to any Low, i'm enjoying reading all the opinions and descriptions in this thread though, in a way I think it might never live up to what I am deciding it sounds like in my head

(like, uh, 69 love songs but less focused on the lyrics and everything is turned inside out and put through massive processed filters and is screaming up to 11? The presence of BJ Burton on production is giving me an idea, we're in Charli XCX land)

 

[ann post]

I like this one a lot anyways.

It's got enough songs and melody to not let the *unfamiliar sound take over and has loads of nice spaces on it. Have road tripped it and home speakers it a fair few times

*It sounds like philip glass got one of those organ pedals for guitar for christmas. this is not a criticism.

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

To my knowledge I have never listened to any Low

Remedy that. Trust and Things We Lost in the Fire at least. Christmas EP when we get into December for sure.

 

[prefuse]

I haven't read any other reviews. I quite like this. I said before I was expecting them to sound different. I was mixing them up with yo la tengo. Overall it sounds like an album of songs that have been deconstructed & remixed by some noise / drone electronic producer.

The vocals are strong through out. They loosely weave between harmony & unison. Reminded me a bit of that band Lucius, although musically they are nothing a like. I kept thinking of the soundtrack of o brother where art thou meets Eraserhead. Harmony vocals mixed with ambient industrial noise.

Some of the transitions between songs are a bit too long. I kept waiting for the drums to kick in, real or programmed, but they didn't until 42 minutes of a 46 minute album. I think it would have propelled everything on much better. The songs would have gelled together nicely. Although it would sound more, conventional. I must check out some of their other albums.

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

Some of the transitions between songs are a bit too long. I kept waiting for the drums to kick in, real or programmed, but they didn't until 42 minutes of a 46 minute album. I think it would have propelled everything on much better. The songs would have gelled together nicely. Although it would sound more, conventional. I must check out some of their other albums.

They used all the drum beats on the Drums + Guns album.

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[pete]

Put this on in the car yesterday. MUCH better.

Kid gets in “WHAT are you listening to? And WHY? It sounds broken.”

 

[rettucs]

I've listened a good bit. I think its great. It's Low so of course its great. But there's so much distortion and autotune, and mad effectsy shit going on that it takes a little bit from what I like most about Low.

I love the slow stuff. The quiet stuff. The quiet guitar, the subtle drumming, and the gentle vocal.

This album doesn't have much of that. This is definitely the noisier side of Low, but having followed some of their friday night stuff during lockdown, I knew they were heading this direction for this album.

I really want to hear it live. I want to hear more Mimi in her 3 songs than you hear of her on the album - with less of those effects.

I'm not complaining though. There's enough of the stuff I prefer out there with the earlier albums. Its never a bad thing to see them experimenting and keeping things fresh.

Its a whopper album. 5 out of 5, and a cracking way to restart Album Club.

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

It’s a 5 for me too. They’ve really managed to blend a glorious noise with their sublime vocals. Really looking forward to hearing what it’s like live.

 

[pete]

going for #3 now

So far, i like it, but it's not something i can see myself listening to very much again to be honest. I'm not sure why.

 

[Lili Marlene]

Finally listening to this, kinda reminds me of that band TEEN a lot, or maybe in the whole Perfume Genius wheelhouse, production wise. Way more straightforward than I was expecting anyway.

 

[Lili Marlene]

Alright, one listen in, will I do three? Probably not. It's good though, can't complain. It fits right in with 2021, which is an achievement for any band going this long. I suspect if I was a fan of the band i'd be more impressed than I am.

As it stands, I have no idea about the history of Low and this sounds to me like a good modern alternative album. It's a much more straight forward thing than I was expecting, I thought it was going to be proper off-the-wall to the point of being irritating Charli XCX style madness, but it appears to be pleasant melodies merged successfully with a production style that too-often lends itself to breaking tracks just because it can. It's clearly an achievement for any band to not be completely washed away by the production possibilities here.

Sorry if I sound underwhelmed, i'm not trying to talk it down, but I guess any opinion i'm going to have on this will be a bit like hearing Ghosteen and going "Oh this Nick Cave guy is good, is his other stuff like this?"

 

[pete]

Ok I’ve done the three listens. Overall i like it. It’s really good, some great songs alright. Parts of it remind me of Peter Gabriel for some reason. But I’ll probably never listen to it again - i think because all the ambient-y bits aren’t ambient-y enough? Or they’re too long? I dunno. We’ll see.

I would however like to EXPERIENCE it live. Preferably from a nice comfy chair. Something like the recliners in the blanch IMAX screen would be ideal, yeah.

 

[dudley]

Hah, I was lucky enough to see the Vicar St show for the last LP tour from the top balcony, bang in the middle with @mark and it was *astonishing*

Can't wait to see this one live, just hope I'm not still terrified of the idea of gigs by then!

 

[dudley]

That's also a mental week for gigs... La Luz, The Lovely Eggs, Mitski, Metromony, Low, Shellac