"DRAG" LOW (1994)

I started Mental Jukebox nearly three years ago at the beginning of the pandemic. During this time, I’ve discovered new music, rediscovered old favorites and I’ve met passionate music fans around the world. And when things opened up, I kept on blogging. This month, the jukebox goes deeper. The term “deep cut” has multiple meanings. It can refer to lesser known album tracks from well-known artists. It can also refer to tracks from lesser known artists. This month, I’ll be featuring both types. #DeepCutsFeb

It is a bit ridiculous how many decades passed before I finally discovered this album. I love it now, but I can’t imagine the power it would’ve had on me had I listened to it during its era. It is the antithesis of two prevailing genres at the time: the loud, thrashing guitars of grunge rock and the feedback-soaked noise of shoegaze. Low’s debut record must’ve sounded strangely stark and naked in that era. It is how Low made a name for itself in the indie scene - that minimalist approach and, of course, those haunting harmonies from Alan and Mimi. God rest her soul. She’s still here when I play I Could Live In Hope once again in its entirety, which winds down with the treasured deep cut “Drag”.

“Drag” appropriately drags itself out in space with snare brushes dotting a haunting, finite landscape. Alan sounds young, hopeless and remorseful. The instrumentation is as minimal as it gets, starting with that bass line that reminds me of Joy Division. The lyrics are just as minimal. Alan wrote four lines in total, but somehow they speak volumes in their simplicity. Hearing “Drag” again, I want Mimi to be back. Alan’s artistry and musicianship are far better with her by his side.

“I'm sorry but I can't hold on. It works much better if I let it drag me around.”

"THE PRICE YOU PAY" LOW (2021)

You can get off to a fast start. You can sustain your opener with the main course, not filler. But can you end on a high note? Sometimes I wonder if recording a strong closer is the most difficult thing to pull off when it comes to album rock. When it comes to the cream of the crop in music, I can think of more strong openers than strong closers. Nonetheless, I still have my favorites which I’ll be featuring on Mental Jukebox all month.

The harmonies of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker are some of the most beautifully haunting elements of music ever uttered. When Mimi passed away from cancer late last year, the music world lost a great human being but also one half of the greatness that is Low. Even if Alan continues on, Low will never be the same again, which saddens me. As their last studio album release prior to Mimi’s death, HEY WHAT builds on the distorted, experimental sound of their more recent recordings. The album ends in epic fashion with the seven-minute anthem “The Price You Pay”.

The track contains large swaths of distortion where no lyrics are sung, where Alan and Mimi are locked in instrumentally. The engineering work of BJ Burton emphatically takes this track – along with all the album’s songs – to the next level. It even earned him a Grammy nomination. But the most powerful element of “The Price You Pay” is and always will be the bone-chilling vocal harmonies where Alan and Mimi sing together in their final studio recording. It feels so final and infinite at the same time.

“I put a lot of thought Into the price you pay To hear the morning come. Keep the ghost another day.”

"SUNFLOWER" LOW (2001)

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.”

"SUNFLOWER" LOW (2001)

Each day in December, I’ll be reflecting back on a song from the 2000’s. The decade saw the return of post-punk and the popularization of folk music, all while some of music’s biggest acts gained their indie footing. Thankfully, it’s a period that I can look back at fondly without cringing. #31DaysOf2000sSongs

The holiday season is typically fast-paced and hectic for me. But, in many facets of life I’ve been taking deliberate steps to slow down, to reflect a little more and to savor the good things during these challenging times. Part of this personal journey has been reclaiming an appreciation for quieter, slower jams. This has included everything from folk to country to dream pop. While the band Low is one of those artists that I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface with, the song “Sunflower” is among a few of their more well-known tracks that eggs me on to listen more.

Like many Low tracks, “Sunflower” is shockingly minimal 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 as a difficult year comes to an end.

“With my half of the ransom I bought some sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet sunflowers and gave them to the night.”