September 26, 2002

Low : Trust

Mormon slowcore trio rock out. Softly

8 / 10 There's no escaping it - the sixth album from Low rocks. Sure, it rocks quietly, intermittently. But forget the received knowledge that says these Minnesotan minimalists have resolved to spend eternity teasing hushed chords from their instruments with a stoicism once reserved for Soviet state funerals: a quick spin of 'Trust' reveals a ruddy, joyful streak, from the invincible Velvets drone of 'Canada' to the hearty boys' brigade march of 'Last Snowstorm Of The Year'.

As if chastened by excess, Low reserve an occasional tendency to retreat into the ornate, funereal folk with which they made their name. But 'Trust' is a reaffirmation of far more than a vow of silence: it's a commitment to beauty that precious few modern bands capture.

Louis Pattison