Search - Low :: Long Division

The lo-fi masters brilliant statement.

Andy Williamson | Chicago, IL | 11/12/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Low is a Duluth, Minnesota based trio, formed to combat the abrasiveness and boredom of the grunge movement. LONG DIVISION is the second release, and arguably the best. Describing its music is like trying to explain a David Lynch film; words fail to relay the meaning and scope of the music.Low specialize in that style of music most often referred to as 'lo-fi', 'sad-core', and 'slo-core'. They use minimal instrumentation-a cymbal and snare drum, bass guitar, and electric guitar with a 'clean' tone. The tempos are slow. Some of the material reminds me of something that would fit nicely on Angelo Badalamenti's TWIN PEAKS or BLUE VELVET soundtracks, or perhaps some wierd mix of MASSIVE ATTACK and PORTISHEAD sans the samples and electronics-very slow, very emotional, very evokative, very simple.LONG DIVISION is quite an album. From the opening sparse notes played on the guitar in "Violence" (using reverb to great effect I might add) the listener is beckoned to come in, to close everything else out and be immersed in the waves of slow melancholy and vocal harmony. The beautiful female vocals of "Below & Above" and the wonderful harmonies and minor chord changes of "Throw Out The Line" cement themselves in the brain. How can such 'simplistic' music have us coming back time and again? Well, sometimes simple is better I guess. "Caroline", "Alone", and "Stay" are marvelous songs as well. Listen to how the group uses quiet (near silence) on this album-it's amazing. You will even hear sparse conversation and a cough here or there from a band member.While LONG DIVISION might not be something you'll play day in and day out, any musician can appreciate the beauty of simplicity, and I have it in my CD player for weeks at a time. A very enlightening and organic experience.Highly recommended."

Slow - s = low

bn | olympia | 12/15/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"have you ever seen those street performers who look like they're just standing there, but by the end of the day they've moded into a different position. it was just like they were doing it at such slow increments that you couldn't detect movement? low is the musical equivilant of that. maybe it has something to do with the soft production. at first listen you hear a wall of noise. kind of a soft tone that goes for a few minutes. but on further listens you notice more and more things about the songs until they become catchy. i've had this album for a few weeks now, and i find something new every day. it's amazing."

Are you dozing?

Jack M. Walter | 01/06/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If one word could be chosen to sum up Low's style, what would it be? Atmospheric comes up pretty often. Relaxing, haunting, and all the stuff that goes with that. While that sort of thing is boring with most bands, Low takes it to extreme lengths and always gives us a fresh interpretation of naptime music. Unfortunately for me, I'm in the precarious position of hearing this album for the first time after being exposed to Low's "The Curtain Hits The Cast" and "Songs For A Dead Pilot", which are both brilliant releases. When compared to these two albums, "Long Division" might appear a little green. That's because it is. Comparing Low albums is difficult because they are a band that is always exploring new territory and therefore always progressing (which is much more than most pop musicians do). Like Low's other releases, the production has a profound effect on the overall sound of the album and Kramer's work does them justice. The first three songs are soothing and extremely listenable and "See Through", "Take", and the percussive sound of "Turn" serve as really early indications of the sound they pursue and develop on several tracks from "Songs For A Dead Pilot". "Streetlight" is an interesting piece that sounds like a really slow college radio staple. "Long Division" is an essential album by a powerful creative force."