Low
C'mon
Sub Pop / Tuba!

C'Mon is the 9th album from the Minnesota-based indie-rock trio Low, that currently are composed of Alan Sparhawk (guitar and vocals], Mimi Parker (drums and vocals) and Steve Garrington (bass). C'mon succeeds the 2007 release Drums and Guns. Whereas that album rallied against the war in Iraq, this one is much more personal, warmer and accessible.

C'mon was recorded in an old church in Duluth, MN and mixed in an apartment in Hollywood. This might be the records' elevator pinch, but it still tells a lot. The production is tight and the church-recording provides the distinct slow-rock Low-ish soundscape with a touch of spirituality that becomes the vocal harmonies of Parker and Sparhawk well. This spiritual feel is present throughout the album, from the sweet opener "Try To Sleep", through the folksy ballad "Done", the titillating centrepiece "Especially Me", and the unfolding massiveness of "Majestic/Magic", to the lighter surf-popish closure "Something's Turning Over". But particularly it is audible in the astonishing bare-hearted and naked love-hymn "$20". A painfully beautiful song, which not only is the album's best track, but probably the best Low ever has done.

Actually, C'Mon turns out to be Low's best album to date. And being more accessible than most of their previous recordings, this may, somewhat helped by Robert Plant's use of two of their tunes on his last album, Band of Joy, bringing them to a broader audience. Which is very much deserved.

Copyright © 2011 Aslaug O Klausen