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Low-down on homeland insecurity
SUSAN DARLINGTON sees the US band address the state of a troubled nation
Low
JOHN GREEN relishes photography that unfolds a longstanding and poetic relationship with Leeds
A uncomfortably misogynistic authorial voice that sometimes seems to lack insight troubles FIONA O’CONNOR
MARY CONWAY is disappointed by a production that panders – if inadvertently – to Western prejudice against China
JOHN GREEN is fascinated by a history that excavates the enormous role played by agricultural workers in recent times
ALEX HALL recommends a book that places empirical evidence at the heart of understanding racism
A recognition that individually we are powerless both politically and socially is essential, writes GORDON PARSONS
Low
Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
LOW may be about to celebrate 25 years as a band but as they gear up for the release of new album Double Negative in September there’s no sign of them mellowing.
The Duluth trio have treaded water for their last couple of albums, giving the impression that the best of their slow-core days are behind them. Yet, galvanised by the political turmoil in their US homeland, they’ve returned with a sound that’s dark and troubled.
The mood is set from the very start, with guitarist Alan Sparhawk intoning: “I’m tired of seeing things” on Quorum. Heavy bass notes, which make the venue’s fittings shudder, build around him and fracture into extended passages of distortion.
More from this author
SUSAN DARLINGTON enjoys, with minor reservations, the Northern Ballet’s revival of its 1992 classic
SUSAN DARLINGTON revels in an exhilarating adaptation of the gruesome fairytale that invokes the real-life horror of women lost to male violence
SUSAN DARLINGTON is disappointed by a show that aims to highlight misogyny within the police but fails to arrest the audience's attention
SUSAN DARLINGTON revels in a band that know their own continuing relevance
