HEY WHAT
Album by Low
Released 10 September 2021
Post-Industrial / Experimental
Produced by BJ Burton
Rating – 7.5/10
Churchlike vocals and executioner backdrops bounce off of one another to make ‘HEY WHAT’ the latest standout in Low’s discography.
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As blazing hymns sweep through ‘Days Like These’ like a burning altar, it becomes apparent that the voices of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker may be utilised as weaponry similarly to how Low’s ambient noise has been ever since the duo gonged it through 2005’s ‘The Great Destroyer’, resurfacing as a thicker broth on 2018’s ‘Double Negative’ to further spite their slowcore heyday.
‘Days Like These’ doesn’t actually hook me like many others of its kind; while unlikely for Low, its core vocal melody feels a little too common to work amidst the manically crumbling cityscapes of ‘HEY WHAT’. It also needs to be stated that being unusual isn’t unusual for Low, and no matter where their preferences lie, unpredictability will forever be their strong suit. They’re still donning their sonic camouflage; still playing chess with the listener (and winning).
If ‘HEY WHAT’ truly operates like hymnal, such a feat occurs through the aching sermons of ‘White Horses’; not gospel but a comfort for the flaky harshness of the stabs of distortion that ring through. The same may be exclaimed for the “I’m afraid” refrains of ‘I Can Wait’, though its backdrop is for more relaxed in a nonlinear, Low manner, as if the music is here to comfort the words this time.
Vocal interplay is essential; the charmed, woodsy curses that emanate through ‘More’, courtesy of Parker, offer absolution as everything in proximity commits ritualistic suicide – the compression rate borders on Richter; a reaction to city-spanning alarms blaring at the warning of the incoming loudness war.
Parker’s voice begs from the abyss throughout ‘All Night’. It bleakly harmonises with Sparhawk’s through ‘Disappearing’ in a manner that may appear too clumsy, unpleasant or unfriendly, but hey, nothing on ‘HEY WHAT’ is cutesy; even with a blankety chime on ‘Hey’, the walls are still closing in for its seven-minute duration – seriously, trade the word ‘compress’ for ‘squash’; this sound is unreal.
The closest ‘HEY WHAT’ gets to cutesy is the genuine balladry of ‘Don’t Walk Away’, a floaty experience that relies on ambience and a quivering tune. Still, it doesn’t make a resounding impression, and if I have any reservations regarding the album, it’s that my patience is tested at times.
But rarely does this cause any severe issues. Plus, the lengthier tracks feature necessary payoffs, including ‘Hey’ and slow-burning sound-clasm ‘The Price You Pay (It Must Be Wearing Off)’, so ‘HEY WHAT’ hooks me where it matters, and it’ll likely do the same to you.
Best tracks – ‘White Horses’ – ‘Hey’ – ‘More’.
Weakest track – ‘Disappearing’.
Rating – 7.5 out of 10
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