the local releases
here are my two favourite local releases of 2007, and yes duluth is local.
low drums and guns
when i first heard this album i couldn’t help but notice some of the interesting production choices that were made. i still don’t understand why they chose to put the vocals almost exclusively in one speaker, but the drum machine while i initially disliked it i’ve come to appreciate it as part of a sound that distinguishes this album from their previous releases, and the organ is just great i’m surprised it hasn’t found it’s way into their music sooner. i had heard a number of these songs played live originally where they were done in a more classic low style and i came to like them that way so that is what i came to hope for with this album. in some ways i don’t really care about the production choices on this album because what really impresses me with these songs and what i picked up when i heard them live is the songwriting. i feel that low’s songwriting has improved with each release that they put out and this album continues that trend. they also continue to be awesome live, each time i have seen them play i have enjoyed it more. that is partially due to the fact that i have been more familiar with their music each time i have seen them, but i saw them last april after the release of drums and guns and it was one of the best live shows i’ve ever seen. alan was in a really good mood that night which helped, but they were really on that night and the crowd was great waiting until the final note wrung out to make a sound. my many favourite tracks were ‘breaker’, ‘dragonfly’, ‘always fade’, ‘dust on the window’, ‘murderer’ and ‘violent past’. fantastic that this is a music video:
cloud cult the meaning of 8
i am convinced that cloud cult could produce what would be considered one of the best albums of the year if they just showed a little discipline. their latest album the meaning of 8 is a bloated 18 tracks and much like their previous album advice from the happy hippopotamus and its 25 tracks it contains a handful of of excellent songs but they seem unable to cut anything. were they to lean down this album to a breezy 10 or 12 songs saving the weaker tracks for b-sides and eliminating the jammy interludes it would make for a much smoother more enjoyable listen. the songs that make this album worthwhile: ‘chemicals collide’ ‘take your medicine’ and ‘pretty voice’.
cloud cult – take your medicine.mp3
up next: moons and stars
~ by mwn on January 24, 2008.
Posted in music
Tags: cloud cult, download, lists, low, video
Good reviews, Markus. I have yet to listen to the Cloud Cult album, but as you know, I just love the Low album. Actually, I think the production on it is fantastic; I like the drum machine addition and the various weird noises. They didn’t over do it. I found it quite tasteful actually. The songwriting is spot-on on this album too.
i have definitely come to enjoy the production on drums and guns and just the album in general. i started out writing the review saying i liked it but it wasn’t one of my favourite low albums, but after i listened to it a few times in order to write about it i had to remove that, it is definitely one of my favourite albums of theirs, i think it might even be number two behind things we lost in the fire.
as far as cloud cult goes give those songs i mentioned a listen and see what you think before listening to the album, their is a lot of fluff to sit through.