The last two Low albums, The Great Destroyer and Drums and Guns, were angry, angular testaments that seemed to signal the band was moving beyond the quiet-but-intense-melodies which defined its first albums. But apparently not. Maybe that is because The Retribution Gospel Choir has provided Alan Sparhawk an outlet in which to unleash his fury. So in contrast, listening to C’Mon is like being ensconced in velvet, with Sparhawk and Mimi Parker’s doubly gorgeous harmonizing as their voices flutter circles around each other. Except for two songs—“Witches” and “Majesty/Magic” being the heaviest of the 10 tracks—C’Mon finds Low fully embracing what they know best: thick and majestic beauty.
This article appears in Jul 21-27, 2011.