The recent My Bloody Valentine post should have come with this disclaimer: “MBV show disappoints due to a Low induced high.”
My dismissive review of the My Bloody Valentine show (posted last week) can be attributed, in part, to MBV performing on the heels of a mammoth good show by Low the day before. As I watched MBV lazily strum over (suspected) canned tape loops to two capacity sold out shows, I couldn’t help but note that Low are the more deserving of such adulation. Compared to Low, MBV’s washes of punishing noise assault, however executed, seemed downright trivial.
Low have quietly become one of the most consistently great bands of the last 20 years. Like MBV they are a micro-genre flag planter; MBV with Shoe-Gaze and Low, with my all-time favorite named genre, Slow-Core. Low, however, have proven so inimitable that they have unwittingly crowded out any aspiring heir-apparent. Sadly, there looks to be no one to assume the crown when they move on.
In my opinion the greatness and importance of Low can not be overstated. The album Secret Name is firmly perched in my all-time favorite albums, but what really impresses about Low is that they are unabashedly religious. Their Christian faith is a fundamental element to much of their songwriting but with no negative side-effects. Sure, religion has provided the impetus for many of the world’s greatest pieces of art but finding a contemporary example of religious infused art that isn’t wretched is damn hard to find. Little exaggeration is needed to state that the absolute worst music committed to record has come via recent Christian evangelical clumsy dabblings in popular music. These hatchet attempts to connect with the youth have been successful only in the unintended result of proving religion has long lost its ability to inspire and as such accelerating its own welcomed obsolescence. Low, on the other hand, against all odds, have knocked out a string of great records and sublime live shows that make a convincing case for religious inspiration. If there is a congregation that effectively conveys the humbling spiritual beauty that comes with attending a Low show, consider me a convert. If they swing through your town be sure to attend and don’t be afraid to drink the Kool-Aid.
[audio: http://thesoundofindie.com/archive/2008/20081029/Low-Trust.mp3|titles=Trust (Live)|artists=Low]
Download: Low – Trust (Live)
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