The Low Duo, comprising brothers Adam and Leigh Greenwood, hail from Sheffield and are the proverbial and metaphorical phoenix rising from the ashes of their previous band, Sark Sparks. Their debut, self-produced five-tracker is a very home-made affair, but this is by no means a criticism. Unshackled by the constraints of , well, anyone, not even other band members, 'The EP of Hope and Despair' explores murky waters and a range of moods with an affecting sincerity.
'Fifteen Years' features some quirky guitar playing, whereby the acoustic six-string is used as much as a percussion instrument as one of melody, to provide a backdrop to a vocal delivery that crackles with raw passion.
The budget church organ sound of 'I Want to Die on the Moon' is certainly an unusual choice, but works to good effect as a backdrop to the philosophical musing that 'some people will die, and some people will fly to the moon,' while the more uptempo yet sparingly sparse 'House on the Hill' - just vocals and a clanging, tube-crunched electric guitar - reminds me of Pavement's 'Box Elder,' stripped down and without the tape hiss. Musically, it's simple but effective, and moving in ways that are hard to explain or define.
|
The melancholic closer 'It Was You and Me' draws on elements of Radiohead in the way Her Name is Calla's earliest recordings do, producing a song that's a carefully balanced combination of both hope and despair. Beautiful and delicate, there's magic in the space between the notes and in Leigh's haunting and cracked yet powerful voice. Truly magnificent.
Low Duo on MySpace
|
