Review Listening to The Low Anthem’s breakthrough album – 2009’s Oh My God, Charlie Darwin – was a jarring experience. It was a clashing of two genres: profoundly moving acoustic folk and raucous blues-rock. The clash was so marked, it sounded like two separate bands. But the album was roundly praised by critics, who claimed that the two tones combined to capture a vision of America that was grounded in tradition but evolving and fragmented.Whether you agree or not, it was a tough listen. Smart Flesh plays no such games. Its tone is more unified, dominated by the sensitive end of The Low Anthem’s spectrum: while its predecessor is difficult to define, Smart Flesh is unquestionably a folk album, a record of acoustic guitars, banjos, vocal harmonies and timeless tales. The rock is still there on Hey, All You Hippies! and Boeing 737, but now it pours out in a more controlled fashion – so as not to stamp all over the delicacy of the other songs, but to complement them. Indeed, Boeing 737 is a huge, stomping anthem that sounds like Bob Dylan fronting Arcade Fire. If The Low Anthem don’t release it as a single, they’re mad.The rest of the album is easy-going and mellifluous, songs built on the simplest of patterns. Each songwriter takes their turn, but the voices don’t compete with each other. So Ben Knox Miller’s Love and Altar, which shares a similar angelic tone to Bon Iver, blends seamlessly into Jeff Prystowsky’s Matter of Time, even though the latter’s vocal is gravellier. And then we get Jocie Adams’s clarinet solo on Wire, which is stunning.Fans of Oh My God, Charlie Darwin may be disappointed by just how well Smart Flesh hangs together, and there is certainly an argument to be had here about whether this more unified sound is a little too predictable, a little too easy, to keep you gripped. There are lulls amongst these 11 tracks when your mind starts to wander – Burn doesn’t deserve its slot after Wire, and should have been dropped altogether, while some of the album’s later tracks seem to mimic what has gone before. An injection of passion towards the end would have helped: without it, Smart Flesh comes across as a little too atonal to be described as a classic. --Mike HaydockFind more music at the BBC This link will take you off in a new window
P**S
COHEN PROPORTIONS !
THE LOW ANTHEM - SMART FLESHA Review by Pete Shields ( Candlelit )I stumbled upon The Low Anthem about two years ago when I heard the brilliant song CHARLIE DARWIN and purchased the CD Album OH MY GOD CHARLIE DARWIN, which soon became a favourite amongst my vast collection.I then heard the song BURN and ordered SMART FLESH purely on the strength of this outrageously beautiful song - like Leonard Cohen at his brilliant best - also because I have enjoyed Charlie Darwin so much.Smart Flesh does not disappoint in any way.It has had many listens, before posting this review, and its "draw" is more powerful the the most addictive narcoticIt begins with the haunting GHOST WOMAN BLUES, which is a fabulous opening track, swathed in glorious melody and harmony and structured around a lovely double bass and piano with carefully chosen and crafted instrumentation - the clarinet is beautifulThe Low Anthem are wonderful musicians who are always totally sympathetic to each and every song - pure artists of the very highest order.There are another 5 outstanding songs before we arrive at BURN, which has to be the ballad of the decade.Every track makes this album " the complete listen "The movement and variation maintaining the listeners intense attention throughout.The album ends with the stunning title track, SMART FLESH - another poetic, lyricall masterpiece of Cohen proportions.I adore this band and this album is even stronger than Oh My God Charlie Darwin - if artistic, understated music is your thing, go buy it - you won't regret it
A**H
Roots Chorale
I'm not sure about this one. Originally I was all excited about them recording vocals in a disused factory. I had a vision of angelic voices echoing through the ages. Instead, it focusses on the rootsier elements of their sound and, if I'm honest, is a bit one-paced. It's lost the more profound element of their earlier work and goes for the American Gothic end of the market. Plenty of history on show and you know they understand their blues and folk subjects. However, it's strangely uninvolving and lacks the contrast of OMGCD. I sort of miss the hopeful pure voices which have been replaced by a cracked, beaten down resignation. Maybe it'll grow on me with a few more listens. Let's put it this way, I bought it a few weeks ago and have listened to it three times through and on each occasion, I've put it aside with the intention of really sitting down with my headphones on and each night, I've left it alone to listen to an alternative. One to work on? But is that what they really want?
F**Y
THE HIGHS OF THE LOW ANTHEM
This is the follow up to the mighty "Oh my god...." album and it is as intriguitng,the harmonies are still there as are the unusual instrumente,most songs are slow,but beautiful.Do not expect immediate results,but let it mature,you will be glad you did!
C**R
smart move
This is an excellent album and definite step up from the last release. The album is constantly good throughout and ends on a high. there is something addictive about the Low anthem which also comes through in the live shows too
T**R
Not Their Best
It is OK, it is very Low Anthem, but their other album Oh My God Charlie Darwin is by far the best. If you don't know the band, start with that one rather than this.
N**H
correct item delivered
personal use
D**R
Another good album from one of America's finest, but.....
I was looking forward to this album with a lot of anticipation after the wonderful sounds produced on 'What the crow brings' and Oh my God Charlie Darwin' and this is certainly not a disappointment. Gone are the jarring, and not very well performed, raucous numbers that intruded in OMGCD (and also when I saw the band live in Brighton in an otherwise superb show - though there is NEVER an excuse to perform 'There's a hole in my bucket' on ANY occasion!), but the new album doesn't really take us any further than the previous ones. It's early days yet, and I suspect that this album will grow steadily as I listen to it further, but as of now, there aren't quite the stand out songs that immediately struck me on the other two albums. It will be interesting to see what The Fleet Foxes do in their forthcoming album for a comparison - both bands have a lot in common, although I just prefer the songwriting of The Low Anthem. This is a must have for anyone who likes this kind of music, but ther is a slight sense of a band marking time, albeit at a standard that puts a lot of other contemporary popular music to shame. Looking forward to the live shows later in the year.
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