BeatRoute Magazine BC Edition March 2019

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MUSiC CONCERT PREVIEWS
DREAM POP
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SHELLY MOSMAN
A 25-YEAR LOW
Indie veterans Low capture the brutally beautiful noise of the
now with Double Negative By GRAEME WIGGINS
C
elebrating a 25 year
connects with our current
long career and an 11 LOW
political climate. There’s an ever
album discography, Friday, March 15 present sense of foreboding to
indie band Low are no The Imperial
the record. While recording
strangers to progression and
reinvention. With the release of
Tix, $20: Ticketfly the album was begun during
the runup to the last American
2018’s Double Negative they have crafted
an album that is equal parts beautiful and
brutal, a stark, noisy experimental work
that still manages to be both moving and of
the moment.
In hindsight, there were hints that they
could pull off something like this. Their
previous record with the same producer,
B.J. Burton, hinted at things to come.
“Ones and Sixes was sprinkled with
moments and things that make you go
‘that’s interesting,’ so we were like let’s
make the whole record that. It took a while,”
singer Alan Sparhawk explains. “There was
a conversation about what could be done
with the voices, how could that be broken
up. How the voice collides with it. And is
there a way we can make rhythm and make
movement without it just being drums.”
election, the influence was organic rather
than purposeful.
“There are definitely some songs that are
a reflection of that time,” Sparhawk says.
“The way I write, I’m not intentional, but
I can look back. I don’t sit around like, I’m
going to write about this, or I’m going to
write about that. The songs come and you
put the puzzle together and if you’re lucky
you can take a step back and feel a pattern.”
Low are known for the their live show,
which has come a long way from their history
of turning things down, confrontationally,
to combat loud audiences. Sparhawk
credits this to their longevity.
“We were lucky,” he says. “We’re lucky
to be able to tour and develop. Work with
cool people who have helped to us become
who we are. Most bands only get a few
The album’s dark beauty seemingly years.” ,
16 BEATROUTE MARCH 2019