Aus der Amazon.de-Redaktion
Das ist doch wahre Liebe! Alan Sparhawk traf Mimi Parker in der Schule,
und auf die Jugendbeziehung folgte die Hochzeit. Doch der gemeinsame Weg
des Paares aus Duluth -- einer im Winter scheißkalten Stadt direkt
am Lake Superior in Minnesota -- mündete nicht nur im Hafen der Ehe,
sondern auch einer Band namens Low. Ein paar Meilen von Duluth entfernt
liegt Minneapolis, der Geburtsort der Hardcore-Legende Hüsker Dü.
Der Begriff Core trifft auch auf das US-Trio (drittes Mitglied ist Bassist
Zak Sally... komische Namen haben sie da oben im Norden ) zu. Allerdings
nicht im Zusammenhang mit Hard-, sondern mehr mit Slow-, Sad- und Dreamcore.
Unter allen Genrevertretern sind Low wohl die langsamsten, selbst Derwisch
Steve Albini konnte als Produzent des Albums Secret Name daran nichts
ändern. Auch beim nun schon sechsten Werk Trust treten Low permanent
auf die Bremse. Es scheint, als lebe die Band in einer Kapsel. Nur ein
paar Freunde finden leise Einlass, um mit ihren Instrumenten Banjo, Akkordeon,
Glockenspiel oder Saxofon die stimmungsvolle Session der langsamen, sparsamen
und doch sehr vielschichtigen Sounds noch zu verstärken. Selbst der
Gesang ist mehr ein Wispern. Einmal nur, beim aufbegehrenden Track "Canada",
kommt so etwas wie ein reges Treiben auf, ansonsten herrscht auf Trust
bei angenehmer Schwere eine fast anmutige Atmosphäre. --Sven Niechziol
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As the follow-up to Low's universally acclaimed Things We Lost in The
Fire, Trust comes with a set of expectations that might be impossible
to meet. To the band's credit, Low doesn't just rehash the territory they
covered on their previous album; instead, Trust goes in several different
directions, mixing dark, sweeping epics with smaller, unpretentious songs
and eclectic productions (courtesy of Tchad Blake) and arrangements. It's
Low's most diverse work yet, but as it turns out, also their most uneven,
which is somewhat surprising considering how their previous album was
both consistently inventive and familiar. The chilly, almost ominous tone
that pervades Trust is also something of a surprise, compared to the relatively
optimistic Things We Lost in the Fire -- the album-opener, "(That's
How You Sing) Amazing Grace," subverts one of the most reassuring
hymns, offering only the cold comfort of twangy guitars and Alan Sparhawk
and Mimi Parker's close, tentative harmonies. The band follows that song
with "Canada," which, with its dense, fuzzed-out guitars and
propulsive drums, is the most rock song they've ever done, and especially
unique considering the electronic leanings Low displayed awhile ago. Most
of Trust follows this pattern, alternating a slow, sinuous song with a
brighter or lighter one. When this chiaroscuro approach works, it's impressive,
but more often than not, it doesn't quite come off. Though some of the
album's darker songs are compelling, such as the soulful, brooding "Time
Is the Diamond," "Little Argument With Myself," and the
droning finale "Shots and Ladders," a few are just too long
and dirgey. "I Am the Lamb," an unusually anguished song even
for Low, is too subdued to sustain attention at just over seven minutes,
despite its slow-burning, funereal menace; likewise, "John Prine"
has a doomed grandeur to it, but its eight-minute length doesn't pay off.
On the other hand, Trust's lighter moments feel like breaths of fresh
air compared to the more oppressive songs -- the fragile, trippy prettiness
of Parker's "Tonight" and the sweet, campfire-ready "La
La La Song" are equally beautiful and unpretentious, and all the
more appealing because of that. It's not until the second half of Trust
that it really gets off the ground, but once it does, it makes the lengthy
preamble worthwhile. The subtle harmonica and banjo flourishes on "In
the Drugs" and the Phil Spector-esque production on "Last Snowstorm
of the Year" mix Low's steadfast melodic sensibilities with Blake's
colorful approach, while "Point of Disgust"'s beautiful vocals
and simple, piano-driven arrangement showcase the band's spareness at
its best. While Trust is uneven, its high points still outweigh the occasional
slip into boring, dirgey territory. Fans will certainly agree that a slightly
disappointing Low album still has more going for it than most other releases.
(by Heather Phares , All
Music Guide)
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