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Joseph Unrein
Okay, here's what I did. I wrote this in several parts over the last few weeks. Everything is dated so you know when it was written.
I know I said I'd have this done sooner, but we had a few family emergencies and didn't get around to it. Better late than never anyway, hope it was worth the wait.
First Impressions- Night of 4/11 morning of 4/12. 1 AM
My first reaction is that this album is very clearly trying to pull you somewhere. From the driving beats of "Especially Me", the slow build on "Majesty/Magic", and an unresolved tension that spans from "You see Everything" to "Nothing but Heart" and finally resolves in the albums finale "Something's Turning Over." The album is a heck of a production.
"Especially Me" is easily the most lyrically powerful. The first line, "Cry me a river, So I can float over to you." and the Chorus "Cause if we knew where we belong, There'd be no doubt where we're from, But as it stands we don't have a clue, Especially me and probably you."
"Nightingale" and "Nothing but heart" are more musically oriented, featuring minimalist lyrics consisting mostly of one line repeated over and over. These songs aim to sweep you away with the music, featuring strong beats and gigantic harmonies. The rest of the album also does this very well, but these two songs exemplify it.
"C'mon" is easily the best album Low has released to date, and may be the best thing I've heard in a long time. Recorded in an old church in Duluth, Minnesota, the album very clearly retains much of the ambiance of the place. Listening to this, I lost myself. I was no longer laying on my couch with the lights off at 1 AM, I was in an old church with Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker while they created a masterpiece.
The album also ties in very well with some of their previous works. I had "The Curtain Hits the Cast" in line after "C'mon" in iTunes and didn't realize I was listening to a different album for like 20 minutes.
Okay, it's 1:30 and I'm tired... I'll take a listen tomorrow when I'm not half asleep.
Night of 4/12- Midnight.
I've been listening to the album pretty much all day, and I'm still convinced this is one of the best albums I've ever heard. It retains the same ambiance, the same depth and power, the same pull I described last night.
"Something's turning over" is probably my favorite song. It breaks the deeply rooted tension of the rest of the album, lights a match in the darkness, resolves sadness to optimism, despite the somewhat depressing lyrics. It also breaks the musical trend of the rest of the album, featuring the strong presence of an acoustic guitar and the bass, and very little percussion. It very clearly tries to focus on the words, but also provides a strong musical background for them. The lyrics feature interesting imagery, "Angels setting fire to the ocean" or ,"As a child I hid between the pages, Cutting secret phrases overhead." Overall, I think this song is a great ending to the album, leaving you with a sense of peace and happiness lacking in much of the rest of the album.
4/23- A couple weeks past
It's been a bit and I've had some more time to reflect on the album. .
I've taken a little bit of a break from listening to "C'mon" and I've come back with a little more clarity to the album. Don't get me wrong, it's still great. But I definitely think you have to be in the right mindset for it. When the album first came out I was so exited for it I literally didn't listen to anything else for 3 days. I've spent the last week listening to some more upbeat music (Guster mostly, great band, you should check them out.) and coming back to "C'mon" now I definitely have lost that original optimism. The album is amazing, it's the best Low has ever done, and maybe the best thing I've heard this year. But at the same time, it's a very depressing album. Low has always been known for musical minimalism and lyrical depth, and "C'mon" is no exception. But those qualities tend to make their music very dark. After some stuff that's been going on the last few weeks, this isn't exactly the kind of music I want to be listening to. Low is very good at conveying emotion through their music, and "C'mon" makes me feel pretty sad. I've had enough of that lately, and I'm not sure I'm in the right frame of mind for more Low right now...
Still, I'd recommend the album to everyone. You can pick it up on iTunes, and you should.
I'm gonna go listen to Sea Wolf now...
