Great album openers get the listeners to keep on listening. They can do this in any number of ways. Some openers set the tone by easing us in. Others jump right in and blow our minds from the very beginning. A great album opener isn’t an easy thing to create. More than a great song, it’s all about the sequence. Track 1 has to be the perfect starter. This month, I’m highlighting my favorites. #AlbumOpeningSongs
I was late to the Low party. Somehow they fell off my radar. But now, they play a very important role in my musical tastes and genre spectrum. Low is a reminder for me that less can be more. They’re also a reminder to slow down. When Mimi Parker passed away from ovarian cancer, I was overcome with sadness. Mimi and Alan were childhood friends before they got married. They were one of the greatest husband-wife duos in music because they complemented each other so well. Their vocal harmonies are probably the most important facet of their musical partnership. And the opener to Things We Lost In The Fire, “Sunflower”, is among a few of their more well-known tracks that egged me on to listen more.
Like many Low tracks, “Sunflower” is shockingly sparse and nearly naked before us. It’s a case of less is more. With such stark, simple instrumentation, all focus is on the melody and Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker’s hauntingly beautiful harmonies. The simple downward guitar strum patterns and isolated snare hits only enhance the mood. “Sunflower” is dark, melancholic and tremendously gorgeous in its quiet lament – a welcome track to get lost in and commemorate the musical genius and life of Mimi Parker with.
“With my half of the ransom I bought some sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet sunflowers and gave them to the night.”