Low take their time in making their albums. Their last album came out in 2007, “Drums and Guns”. Before that, we had “The Great Destroyer” in 2004. Even their albums I haven’t been too keen on still show a band dedicated to a peculiarly slow-tempo vision. Their work's quality justifies this slow approach.
This might be the album that brings me back to their underrated album “Trust” or the better received “Things We Lost in the Fire” phase. For me, “The Great Destroyer” felt overproduced and drowned out a lot of what made them so special. “Drums and Guns” had that drum machine which gave the proceedings a kind of far-off feel. When I listen to Low, I usually like their more intimate, graspable sound. Having a drum machine and other electronic effects took away from that, for me at least.
So “C’mon” makes me happy from the first song “Try to sleep”. As it starts up, I’m glad. Most of the album has similar moments. “You see everything” sounds fantastic, like a long-lost early 90s pop song. It sounds elegant, large, yet still has the fragility Low excels at. “$20” has no percussion at all; it is the sparest out of the bunch (which is saying something for Low).
I’m happy to see they’ve embraced a lower-key approach this time around. Hearing the delicate drum work is a nice relief after the bombast and artificial sounds which populated the last two albums. This sounds more like a proper follow-up to “Trust”.
A dreamy attitude is present all over the album. Maybe it has to do with the guitars or the lyrics themselves. Either way, it is greatly enjoyable. The longest song “Nothing But Heart” even gives credence to this as it soars out of control towards the end (it actually gets surprisingly wild but the 8 minute length makes it feel justified).
Personally, I’m enjoying this album a lot. That Low I knew and loved, with its slow pace and quiet dynamics had come back after a several year hiatus. I welcome them back. C’mon is a hug for the ears from a friend who had me worried.