Mimi Parker's tiny snare drum is squashed beneath pummeling tympani like the song's prehistoric namesake, as frontman Alan Sparhawk closes the song's final chorus with a shouted "Dinosaur!"īut Things We Lost in the Fire's finest moments come just as the album draws to a close. They've toned down the ambiguity and opted for creepy surrealism: "When they found your body/ Giant x's on your eyes/ And with your half of the ransom/ You bought some sweet sunflowers/ And gave in to the night."Įven if the British EP hadn't been available since last year, "Dinosaur Act" would stand out as the obvious single. The opening track features a double-timed, pounding snare, a basic descending chord structure, and the gratingly "nice" refrain, "You bought some sweet/ Sweet/ Sweet/ Sweet Sunflowers." But a more attentive listen reveals a new lyrical direction. Instead, they focus on building tension and atmosphere around sloth-paced pop songs, while Ida witlessly water down their own country/folk influences with syrupy strings and gaudy "prettiness." Vanity has never been Low's concern, and on Things We Lost in the Fire, their humility has never been so affecting. But this comparison belies one simple backbone fact: Low rarely force themselves to sound beautiful. The closest runners-up may be New York's Ida the two bands are often considered contemporaries within the same genre. Most newcomers haven't grown tired of Low's penchant for lethargy, since, to this day, few bands have attempted what the three have already perfected. Regardless, the songs were of a similar caliber to those on previous outings, and a whole legion of new fans sprung up. ![]() The album sported crisper, less dramatic production, but failed to deviate from the concept the band had begun with five years earlier. Low began loosely experimenting on 1998's Songs for a Dead Pilot EP, but returned to less adventurous songwriting the following year with the full-length Secret Name. While Low turned out a few great songs on the record- namely, "Anon," "Over the Ocean," and "Lust"- the near-Canadians failed to branch out, save for the 15-minute jam session "Do You Know How to Waltz?" ![]() New producer Steve Fisk brought little to the trio's sound, which remained virtually unchanged. ![]() Of course, by their third album, 1996's The Curtain Hits the Cast, the formula began to wear thin.
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