soundslike1981
Well-known member
Doubtful whether Low is a concern Dissensians follow, but in case anyone felt like giving them a chance--this new record may be the time to do so.
As far as "indie rock" acts go, they've always seemed pretty unique to me, flying in the face of the flacid laziness I associate with the revival-laden, ennui-loaded genre (post-'85 or so). They were focused like a laser beam, careful and studied when they began. Over the years they thawed in interesting ways, covering a lot of territory without giving up their core aesthetic of spartan simplicity and generally quiet sounds.
This new record is a wonderful step forward for a musical (and literal) marriage in its tenth year, as the band has discovered a a darker, sharper edge, eschewing for the most part the flirtation with bombast of their last record ('The Great Destroyer'). In my opinion, they came into their own about five years into their run (with the 'Songs for a Dead Pilot' EP), and have maintained a very high level since. The album is mixed in a very unusual fashion, lots of sounds panned hard right (esp. vocals) or left that would usually be placed in the middle of the soundstage, to excellent effect in my opinion. Without trying to cop a late-90s Warp Records futurism (a la, say, Thom Yorke) most of the tracks revolve around simple samples/loops, lots of space in the mix, most elements recorded close and dry, with with vague hints of dubby/reverbed space lurking low in the mix. The vocals have that vibretto-less plaintiveness/earnestness they've always had, Mimi the ice queen/nurturing church mother sound; but Alan has added some subtly darker tones that may reflect his recent mental health battles. There is almost no "rock" guitar on the album, very little "live" drumming, and some great basslines.
Anyway, to cite a closest point of comparison, it is closest to the collaborative EP the band released with Spring Heeled Jack a few years back, which I liked very much at the time, but perhaps a little more spare/aggressive.
I'd be curious indeed what people here would find in the album, if anything. I honsestly can't imagine what response will be from various sectors--it could be embraced by surprising circles, or rejected by longstanding fans, or ignored by everyone entirely (it's not an album that screams for attention). My only complaint is that the album is a little front-heavy and seems to lose some focus after the first side. But on the whole, I'm quite impressed.
As far as "indie rock" acts go, they've always seemed pretty unique to me, flying in the face of the flacid laziness I associate with the revival-laden, ennui-loaded genre (post-'85 or so). They were focused like a laser beam, careful and studied when they began. Over the years they thawed in interesting ways, covering a lot of territory without giving up their core aesthetic of spartan simplicity and generally quiet sounds.
This new record is a wonderful step forward for a musical (and literal) marriage in its tenth year, as the band has discovered a a darker, sharper edge, eschewing for the most part the flirtation with bombast of their last record ('The Great Destroyer'). In my opinion, they came into their own about five years into their run (with the 'Songs for a Dead Pilot' EP), and have maintained a very high level since. The album is mixed in a very unusual fashion, lots of sounds panned hard right (esp. vocals) or left that would usually be placed in the middle of the soundstage, to excellent effect in my opinion. Without trying to cop a late-90s Warp Records futurism (a la, say, Thom Yorke) most of the tracks revolve around simple samples/loops, lots of space in the mix, most elements recorded close and dry, with with vague hints of dubby/reverbed space lurking low in the mix. The vocals have that vibretto-less plaintiveness/earnestness they've always had, Mimi the ice queen/nurturing church mother sound; but Alan has added some subtly darker tones that may reflect his recent mental health battles. There is almost no "rock" guitar on the album, very little "live" drumming, and some great basslines.
Anyway, to cite a closest point of comparison, it is closest to the collaborative EP the band released with Spring Heeled Jack a few years back, which I liked very much at the time, but perhaps a little more spare/aggressive.
I'd be curious indeed what people here would find in the album, if anything. I honsestly can't imagine what response will be from various sectors--it could be embraced by surprising circles, or rejected by longstanding fans, or ignored by everyone entirely (it's not an album that screams for attention). My only complaint is that the album is a little front-heavy and seems to lose some focus after the first side. But on the whole, I'm quite impressed.
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