Do You Know How to POLLtz?: ILM Artist Poll #111 - Low

But what I had in fact been looking for was the following extract from his Secret Name review which I think gets at the point being made about the album above:

"Trying to convey the experience by describing it is inherently hopeless, of course. Low has spent six albums retreating, and I've followed them, getting closer and closer because it was the only way to hear them at all, and from farther away Secret Name's explosion of noise would probably barely sound like a fizzle. Buzzing that wouldn't qualify as background texture in a Prodigy rant sounds, in a Low song, like the Earth methodically sawing itself in half. These drums won't crash, in your ears, unless you've internalized the way Mimi usually taps them. If you haven't heard how she can making not singing sound tenser than singing, the tiny rasps as she leans into the lines of "Days Of..." won't sound like the hibernating dragon at the heart of the world gradually shrugging off sleep. A thousand other bands have hired string sections; if you don't know how empty these spaces in Low songs would have been before, you won't stagger when you hear strings materialize in them. You've heard other Steve Albini recordings, perhaps (and I used to think I didn't like him, but between this and Vent 414's album I realize that position has become firmly untenable), but you can't appreciate from them what an accomplishment it is to find nuances in Low's performances that escaped their previous producers (including themselves)."

Yeah, wonderfully put. And the last couple of albums prove there is no end to the journey in sight.

yeah, i love both of those quotes. i came to them late, in the things we lost/trust time-frame, so even great destroyer sounded like some sort of betrayal to me. they have always been changing from the beginning, while always retaining their low-ness. that's extremely hard to do, although easier to do for a duo that are both incredible singers

Their path reminds me a bit of Depeche Mode, who after a few albums with roughly the same sound, worked with a variety of producers and produced a much wider spectrum of music while keeping a specific identity. DM have stubbornly stuck to the same producer for the last few albums, maybe feeling comfortable, and I wonder if Low will stick with Burton for a fourth album (Low's recent albums are magnitudes better than DM's)

they've already said they want to stick with burton for their next one too, obviously they could change their minds before then but they really seem to love working with him

Makes sense, it's a very fruitful partnership, and they haven't repeated themselves with him yet

Yeah listening to Double Negative and Hey What back-to-back really underscored for me the differences in approach between the two, which can be obscured by the fact that sonically they're obviously closer to one another than they are to any of the band's previous albums.

Nabozo, what about Secret Name don't you like? "Two-Step"? "Weight of Water"? "Starfire"? "Will the Night?"?
I dunno, I love that record.

― I'm a sovereign jizz citizen (the table is the table), Monday, 8 November 2021 20:28 (two hours ago) link

It's by comparison. I miss the electricity, gravity and personality of their other records. Secret Name sounds like slowcore. Mopey yes, plodding, pretty in a boring and precious sense, slowness is excruciating, too spare and simple. I think I like Immune best. I cannot analyze their directions as others can, but it's an incarnation that would have killed my expectations.

I really commend Glenn’s Low reviews generally. They run from Long Division to Trust and are the reason I was initially interested in the band (though I took a long time to actually get across their entire discography) - and start off more like actual reviews and then become increasingly personal and reflective, which I think reflected both a development of Glenn’s style and a development in his relationship with Low. But also, even if it wasn’t a true causal factor, that transformation feels like it reflects something in Low’s music, considered as a developing whole, the way that all of it has acquired lustre and depth and meaning and resonance through accumulation, as each decision they make underscores the deliberateness and importance of each prior decision.

I miss the electricity, gravity and personality of their other records. Secret Name sounds like slowcore. Mopey yes, plodding, pretty in a boring and precious sense, slowness is excruciating, too spare and simple. I think I like Immune best. I cannot analyze their directions as others can, but it's an incarnation that would have killed my expectations.

― Nabozo, Monday, November 8, 2021 11:53 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

This is perhaps one of the most wrong opinions I've ever read about this band.

the part where mimi comes in on two-step is one of the most transcendent musical moments i now of

i know

the back half of secret name is not my favorite. when i think of that album, i guess, i'm thinking that incredible first 20 minutes or so, and i admit that i probably just need to listen to the second half more often. it's almost impossible to not be wiped out by the first side, though, that's the thing. it's an all-timer side for me

I really need to list to the studio work more. I mean, I have all the CDs but I keep losing myself in all those great live recordings on archive.org

like many of you, maybe, i'm doing a big ol' chronological listen. and i'm remembering how good "pissing" is, from The Great Destroyer

might need to make my display name "another secret name fan boy"

This is perhaps one of the most wrong opinions I've ever read about this band.
― I'm a sovereign jizz citizen (the table is the table), Tuesday, November 9, 2021 6:20 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

It probably sounds harsh said like that, and I would immediately nuance it because I find the band still very consistent, but you asked why I liked that album less. Mind you, I still have a couple days and the time beyond the poll to refine those opinions based on first impressions.

the back half of secret name is not my favorite. when i think of that album, i guess, i'm thinking that incredible first 20 minutes or so, and i admit that i probably just need to listen to the second half more often. it's almost impossible to not be wiped out by the first side, though, that's the thing. it's an all-timer side for me

― just staying (Karl Malone), Wednesday, 10 November 2021 05:15 (four hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Feel like both Secret Name and Things We Lost... have this issue (though both close strongly), though in different ways or for different reasons.

While Things We Lost may be the more consistent album the issue is perhaps heightened because "Sunflowers" and "Dinosaur Act" feel like such monumental pop songs.

Trust feels stronger and more consistent than both to me, even though its general reputation is the opposite of that.

Not going to vote as don’t have enough in depth knowledge of theirs catalogue. However that cover of Rihanna’s ‘Stay’, OMG! One for the ages, just incredible. Thanks to table is the table for posting this.

I can’t vote because I love them too much to rank them. But I will say that “In Metal” has brought me to tears multiple times.

i'm doing a quick chronological listen this week before voting. i really want to appreciate more from their great destroyer - invisible way era, i really do. that's when i dropped off listening to them, in real time, and i was hoping to find a bunch of gems. but apart from a few tracks (violent past, murderer, plastic cup, when i go deaf) i just really have a hard time with that era. i don't like fridmann's production much, although low makes him sound better than most bands can.

with c'mon and invisible way...i don't know. they're certainly not bad, and it's interesting to think about what i would think of them if they hadn't released all of their other albums, if they were the only Low albums. i'd probably love them. maybe i'm just reading too much into sparhawk's battles with depression and suicidal thoughts, but to me they _sound_ like depression, and not in any sort of good way. depression can be like a heavy blanket, partly comforting but a real physical force on your body and thoughts. you're still the same person, you just don't move as much and everything becomes compromised before it even escapes from the brain. sparhawk seems to be an incredibly functional depressed person, but it takes its toll on everyone.

^a bunch of speculative bullshit in that paragraph, sorry.

bj burton must put magic tablets in everyone's tea, because i'm giving Ones and Sixes a good listen now for the first time in a while and it's just like they were able to find their way back to themselves.

Good god this is proving to be hard. I've loved them for so long but never attempted to rank my favorites. I have a list of 50 or so I need to cut down and order

because i love so many of their songs, i'm kinda rooting for all of them and decided not to worry too much about the ranking or where they end up in the rollout.

This was really tough! In the end I went with the approach of only voting for songs that I can immediately call to mind from the title, which had the effect of mostly limiting it to pre-early 2000s material. (I love the last couple of albums too, but for whatever reason - perhaps just changes in how I listen to music - I can't match a single song to a title.)

But it was still really hard to get down to 30, and I also have very little idea what will be in the top 10, a couple of songs aside.

I can get a ballot up by the end of the weekend, but I also wouldn't mind having until the next Friday. Anyone else needs more time ?

Yeah, a two week deadline can be difficult if you're doing a deep dive into the catalog.

did we ever decide to do 50 instead of 30? or is it still 30?

"I Hear...Goodnight" is so beautiful, sigh. I'd forgotten.

Another song title with ellipsis that i re-encountered just now after not hearing it for years: "...I Love", which is so sweet it got me choked up.

yeah was also struck by “I hear…goodnight” this morning listening to that ep

going through the box now and man, most of those “curtain”-era non-album tracks are so killer, eg “turning over” and “tear down”

agreed

oh funny my ballot is exactly at 50 rn

I sent 45 tracks and left the decision up to ufo how many to use

I can get a ballot up by the end of the weekend, but I also wouldn't mind having until the next Friday. Anyone else needs more time ?
― Nabozo, Thursday, November 11, 2021

even earlier than the end of the weekend on the us west coast! I started late, may not get one in in time

I have been enjoying going back and listening to Low albums from the beginning, though!

i'm happy to extend the voting period as needed, i'll see how people are doing in a few days.

i think at this point it doesn't seem likely that there'll be enough 50 track ballots to really be worth including in full though, sorry to those that were interested in that

I'll take the opportunity to recommend (as I probably have other times here) that everyone be sure to hear the 'Bombscare' EP from 2000 before they sumbit their ballots.

I loved them a lot before that--'Secret Name' had been the latest obsession, and the first album had been too. But 'Bombscare' was an incredible thrill, and the first time I really knew Low could do anything they wanted. It's the direct forerunner of 'Drums and Guns,' 'Double Negative,' and 'Hey What'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRoIbBbJx4U

can't really get my mind around a Low ballot but I finally saw Alan Sparhawk's Neil Young cover band last night and it was such an amazing show. didn't know "Powderfinger" could still get to me like that.

^very jealous

Just working on my ballot. I'm glancing at a songlist rather than doing a big re-listen though.

I recommend anyone who's doing a last-minute ballot to give 'Soon' a listen - such a beautiful track. I'm not sure what it's actually about, but its always a source of comfort for me in difficult times - often it'll slip into my head - "soon it will be over" yes - thank you - i needed to hear that Low.

didn't know "Powderfinger" could still get to me like that.

oh dang, i'd love to see that

i'm happy to extend the voting period as needed, i'll see how people are doing in a few days.

i think at this point it doesn't seem likely that there'll be enough 50 track ballots to really be worth including in full though, sorry to those that were interested in that

I won't be able to put together a ballot until after Sunday. Would you mind extending a week? or is that too much time?

TIL “…I Love” is a cover of a Tom T Hall song he took to #1 on the country chart in the 70s. Sounds great with Mimi singing as do most songs.

Man I just watched the video for Monkey and now I'm not sure I can rank any of these.

great video and one of my favorite songs of theirs. The Great Destroyer was not loved as much as other Low albums when it came out or since, but it in retrospect is one of my favorites.

as far as the videos go, if I get around to voting I will have to vote for Breaker from Drums and Guns (not one of my favorite Low albums) because of the masochistic video, where Alan stuffs an entire frosted layer cake into his mouth with his fists as Mimi and Matt Livingston stand behind him with vacant stares, clapping to the music

the last couple of days, going back and listening to them in order, the songs from Trust also stand out to me

i went from being lukewarm on 'trust' to now thinking it's top 5 albums for me

My ballot leans newer Low, perhaps because I started there, but almost every album has one or two glorious moments at a minimum. Even some of the Invisible Way songs grew on me, might have made my ballot if we extended to 50

(That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace is so great

'Trust' always felt underrated, to me. I liked it better than 'Fire,' which seemed so beloved.

"The Lamb" is amazing!

I think "texture" will win against "melody" in my ballot, and it just happens that their later career has added whole new layers and complexity to their sound, whereas the many similar delicate ditties crowd each other out.
I'm really curious to know in what order the openers will come out in the results.