Low Great Destroyer CD

Low: Alan Sparhawk, Mimi Parker, Zak Sally.
Personnel: Hollis Mae (vocals); Gerry Beckley (background vocals).
Additional personnel: Dave Fridmann (keyboards); Gerry Beckley.
Audio Mixers: Dave Fridmann; Low.
Over the years, Low have been on labels as diverse as Kranky and Virgin offshoot Vernon Yard, worked with distinctive producers like Kramer and Steve Albini, and have managed to adapt their sound without losing any of their identity. All of this applies to Great Destroyer, the band's first album for Sub Pop and their first collaboration with producer Dave Fridmann. Fridmann's detailed sound is a far cry from either Kramer or Albini's minimalist tendencies, but his work here shows that Low can sound as good in elaborate settings as they do in simple ones: "Monkey"'s intricate layers of distorted drums, organ, and guitar have an unusual depth, and the synth strings and heartbeat-like electronic drums on "Cue the Strings" just add to the intimacy and subtlety of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker's harmonies. Ironically enough, Great Destroyer is by far Low's most polished and accessible-sounding album, even more so than their quasi major-label output. That may turn off purists yearning for I Could Live in Hope's simplicity, but aside from the bigger sound, there's something for almost every kind of Low fan on the album: chilly, brooding songs ("Pissing," "Everybody's Song"), gentle but powerful songs ("On the Edge Of," "Silver Rider") and gorgeous epics ("Broadway (So Many People)"). The group's touted rock direction offers some of Great Destroyer's strongest, and weakest, moments. "California"'s soaring warmth has odd but appealing early- to mid-'90s alt pop sheen to it, sounding a bit like Girlfriend-era Matthew Sweet played at half speed. However, "Just Stand Back" and "Step" are somewhat clunky and contrived, with the production overwhelming the songs. The tracks about aging and acceptance -- a major theme on Great Destroyer -- feel much more genuine, particularly "When I Go Deaf," another of the band's bittersweet and slightly disturbing songs like "In Metal." "Death of a Salesman," a short, stripped-down tale of what's left behind with age, is also affecting; though an album full of songs like these might be too much, they're wonderfully intimate glimpses. "Walk Into the Sea" provides a relatively uplifting -- if not happy -- ending to this thoughtful, graceful album, but at this point, it's difficult to expect anything less from Low. ~ Heather Phares
Low's seventh full-length album, THE GREAT DESTROYER, marks a literal departure for the Duluth, Minnesota trio, with the band leaving its longtime label, Kranky, in favor of uber-indie taste-makers, Sub Pop. The overall sound of the record reflects the transition, as Low hits new heights in both volume and aggression, particularly on the fuzzed-out "Monkey" and the swelling "Everybody's Song." During "On the Edge Of" and "When I Go Deaf," guitarist Alan Sparhawk unleashes gloriously distorted Neil Young-worthy leads, while "Broadway (So Many People)" balances amped-up rock with the group's trademark hushed melodies.
Those looking for Low's renowned hypnotic "slowcore" sound will find it carefully mixed into different forms, with only "Silver Rider" clearly recalling the band's formative mid-1990s era. Like past Low releases, THE GREAT DESTROYER still uses Sparhawk's gorgeous vocal harmonies with drummer Mimi Parker as its centerpiece, but this is the only true constant here, making for a refreshingly dynamic album. For listeners who might have written Low off as a one-note band, this is the record that proves them wrong.Rolling Stone (No. 967, p.81) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "[Low] are uncommonly loud, at times even lethal, on THE GREAT DESTROYER....impressively visceral darkness..."
Spin (p.91) - "Years of gradually opening up their minimalism have imbued Low with the wisdom to make every new layer count." - Grade: A-
Entertainment Weekly (pp.88-9) - "Aging takes on a mythic air on this latest incarnation of Low's slow transition from sleepy minimalists to complex composers." - Grade: A-
Uncut (p.85) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[The album] draws on the best traditions of The Byrds, The Replacements and Neil Young while adding into the mix a bilious anger that's peculiar to our times, Low are building up a headful of steam, not running out."
Alternative Press (p.88) - 3 stars out of 5 - "It's ambitious, edgy, and sonically unlike their last half-dozen records..."
The Wire (p.41) - Included in The Wire's "2005 Rewind: 50 Records Of The Year."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.94) - 4 stars out of 5 - "THE GREAT DESTROYER is the latest high from a band that routinely rewards the virtue of patience."