Things We Lost In the Fire
"Pah-rum-a-pum-pum!" Yes, that was Low that provided the soundtrack for a Christmas Gap commercial. With a slowed-down version of "The Little Drummer Boy," the stark-sounding Minnesota trio subtly marched into the aural lexicon of pop culture. Low's fifth full-length release,Things We Lost in the Fire, is an appropriate follow-up to their auspicious television debut. The Minnesota trio's stark sound has evolved--ever so slightly--since their 1994 debut,I Could Live in Hope. Tracking their career is like surveying the changes in a river's course--progress is perceptible, but just barely. Still, while modesty and restraint are key fundamentals for Low,Fireis full of grace and revelations. While earlier efforts lacked in contrast, "Dinosaur Act" and "Like a Forest" build and swell like thunderstorms coming over the horizon. Drummer Mimi Parker's vocals on "Embrace" are particularly evocative of the trio's evolution; achingly vulnerable, she lulls the listener with a promise of sanctuary before "crushing your skull with my warming embrace." What a glorious way to go.--Andria Lisle