Low's Trust Coming This Fall

Minimalist rock trio Low release their sixth studio album on September 23. The 13-track release, Trust, includes "(That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace," "Canada," "Candy Girl," "Diamond," "Tonight," "I Am the Lamb," "In the Drugs," "Snowstorm," "John Prine," "Little Argument with Myself," "La La La Song," "Point of Disgust" and "Shots and Ladders."

The trio is based in Duluth, Minn., and the locale has certainly affected their music; they recorded the new album at Sacred Heart studios in Duluth. "You get the pent-up wife-beaters here [in Minnesota], but you get the serial killers in Wisconsin," said vocalist/guitarist Alan Sparhawk, only semi-seriously. "Much has been speculated about the impact the terrain and climate have on the sound of the band. I figure we probably wouldn't sound the same if we were from Florida, but who knows. I think the long winters do something to you."

This is the group's fourth release for the distinctive Kranky label, out of Chicago. Low — Sparhawk, vocalist/drummer Mimi Parker, and bassist Zak Sally — might be considered the most pop-oriented of Kranky's roster, which includes Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Labradford, Stars of the Lid and Windy & Carl, among others.

Trust was self-produced with Tom Herbers engineering, and was mixed in London by Tchad Blake (Lisa Germano, Neil Finn, Richard Thompson, Pearl Jam). Gerry Beckley, frontman for '70s soft-rock band America (best known for their Neil Young-sounding 1972 hit, "A Horse With No Name"), added vocals on "It's in the Drugs" and "La La La Song."

"We thought it would be a new adventure to see what would happen if a 'pro' — Tchad Blake — mixed our stuff," Sparhawk said. "Tchad has a very distinct and original style, but he is also quite good with just getting the sounds where they need to be. It was fun just handing him the tapes and seeing what would happen. Complete control is not always a good thing. You have to jump off blind sometimes to find something new."

Discussing previous producers with whom Low has worked (Kramer and Steve Albini), Sparhawk said, "We have been lucky to have always worked with people that seemed to understand what we were trying to do. Kramer was very hands-on and kinda shaped the sound a lot, which was what we needed at the time. We were very new, and he seemed to see in us what we were unaware of. Steve was great because he is very good with bands who are confident with what they want to do. He can keep up with any pace you set in the studio, and we usually like to work fast."

Formed in 1993, Low create music built from slow tempos and dreamy, droning melodies of immense beauty. Spirit-rousing harmonies inflate a few sparse lyrics such that concepts become huge, as a trained-in telephoto lens magnifies the significance hidden within detail.

2001's Things We Lost in the Fire (check out Neumu's review ) made many critic's choice lists, ranking #38 in the Village Voice's Pazz & Jop Poll. A natural progression, Trust includes spacious numbers like "Candy Girl" and the gem, "Diamond," elongated sing-alongs like "It's in the Drugs," and songs with heavier, uptempo grooves, such as "Canada," which will have U.S. citizens humming about their Northern neighbor, and toe-tapping as well.

Low will tour the U.S. and Canada extensively in October and November. Baby Hollis, approximately 2, will travel with her parents, Parker and Sparhawk. "I can see why a baby can make a band second-guess their lives a bit," Sparhawk said. "It is very difficult to make it work. On the road the days are longer and there is no free time when you have a child to attend to. It took us most all of the first year figuring out how to make it work, but I think it's all right now. We bring a nanny — luckily we can afford it — and we try to schedule our tours now in such a way that we are not driving 10 hours a day. It can be done, it just takes a lot of work and patience from others. I fully respect other artists who decide to tone it down once they are parents. Having a child puts life in perspective — you are now responsible for a pure and innocent life, and any sacrifice you have to make [for your child] is a pure gift."

Mark Eitzel will share a double bill on the East Coast. The singer/songwriter released his seventh studio release, Songs for Courage and Confidence (check out Neumu's "Datastream" story about it), a covers album, last spring. "I am excited to finally meet him," Sparhawk said. "I've seen him at shows, but all we do is sneer at each other."

For more information, visit Low's Web site. — Jillian Steinberger [Tuesday, July 16, 2002]