Low

I was lucky enough to attend a very special gig tonight with Spokes. The venue was Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral (the largest cathedral in the country) and the band was entirely suited to such a setting – they’re the best thing to come out of Duluth, Minnesota since Bob Dylan... Yes, they're Low!

Their current album ‘The Invisible Way’ is my album of the year (unless something better gets released in the next month!) and they played a great selection of songs from it and their back catalogue tonight with their trademark 'slowcore' intensity. The songs often express a certain wry fatalism which appeals to me greatly and have a tendency to build mantra-like – starting quietly and prettily but sometimes ending in a noise-fest which it seems scarcely imaginable can come from three such apparently quiet and unassuming musicians: Alan Sparhawk (vocals/guitar), Mimi Parker (vocals/drums) and Steve Garrington (bass/keyboards).

Sparhawk and Parker (both pictured above) have an ability to blend their vocals in such a way as to send shivers down my spine and “feed my passion for transcendence” to quote their song Holy Ghost. Absolutely magical to see and hear them live in such an incredible venue – the sound quality was phenomenally good too!

I can’t remember the whole setlist but I’m pretty sure it included:

Words
Majesty/Magic
Plastic Cup
On My Own
Holy Ghost
Monkey
Waiting
Just Make It Stop
Nothing But Heart
Dragonfly
Sunflower
Mother
Especially Me
Murderer
Little Argument With Myself

As well as their excellent cover of Rihanna’s Stay (yes, really!)