Low - I Could Live In Hope

Low - Cut

Runs for: 5:48

Like I'll be saying, it's minimalistic. Pretty eerie stuff.

Here’s a throwback to 1994, Low’s album ‘I Could Live In Hope’. This is my first proper experience with the ‘slowcore’ genre (ironically a tag disapproved of by the band), and it’s surprisingly pleasing -  Minimalistic, slow tracks which are driven by voice harmonies, low tempos and bass guitar. It’s a shining example as to how less can be more in music, so even if thematically you don’t enjoy it, the instrumental aspect is pretty interesting from a musician’s point of view.

The tracks come off as a bit sad. They’re slow and there’s a lot of reverb, creating the effect as if you were listening to this music at the bottom of a well. The low tempo leaves a lot of room to soak up everything that’s going on, leading me to call this good music to ‘think’ to. The vocals are slow and drawn out too, and thematically seems to be almost tortured. Some of the lyrics revolve around destitution, fear, loneliness and mental instability. It’s all quite sinister and hands the listener a feeling that the vocalists are subtly oppressed by their own anxieties. The instrumentals get pretty interesting at times – outside of the parts where it leaves you with that space to soak up what’s going on, there’s hints of interesting riff work that picks up in the spaces between drum beats, resulting in some light yet melancholy guitar solos.

Something to remind yourself before you start listening, is that musically, bands like this were created in opposition to bands of the grunge era. If you’re looking for something to listen to which will get you pumped as you’re taking a bat to anything that moves in Grand Theft Auto, or to impress girls who say they listen to ‘everything’ - maybe don’t pick this. If you’re looking for something you can slowly learn to appreciate for its merits, or just listen to on those hangovers where you ask ‘why do I do this to myself?’ – this is the ticket. Minimalism at its finest.

Reccomended for: Fans of folk music, namely Damien Rice and Giles Corey. Anyone who’s chillout playlist is looking pretty bare would greatly benefit from a few tracks on this too.