The Low Anthem | What the Crows Brings

May212014May 21, 2014May 27, 2014No Commentby Bake

The Low Anthem | What the Crows Brings

Posted in Music

Sometimes I think about when bands are starting to make it big and they start playing bigger venues. Eventually they’ll get to the point where they are opening at some huge arena for the biggest band on the planet. They’ll talk about how it was always their dream to open for Springsteen or whoever (whomever? Who gives a shit?) They get to share the same stage, shake hands, meet their rock n roll idols. All that jazz. But then they actually get on stage… and no one cares. Most of the people can’t even be bothered to get to their seats, preferring the comforts of the bar or the sloppy parking lot. And if they do show up they just talk during the whole goddamn set anyway. What a rip off.

The last time I saw The Low Anthem live it was kind of like this. They opened in Portland, ME for Josh Ritter. He’s not exactly a rock star, but 99% of the people in the audience were there to see him. The Low Anthem were universally ignored. Even worse the bar was in the same space as the stage, so the noise of drunks bitching about their work week was the most prominent instrument to be heard. This is not how I would recommend experiencing The Low Anthem. Their name is not misleading, many of their songs are softer, folk lullabies, better enjoyed at home. So, go pour yourself a glass of whiskey and sip on that while listening to What the Crows Brings.

What the Crows Bring, The Low Anthem’s 2^nd studio album, is a collection of twelve indie folk songs that sound like every folk song you’ve ever heard and nothing like any of them at the same time. While displaying a fair amount of acoustic guitar and Americana imagery, they also flesh out some of the songs to have more of that wall of sound effect. They’ll go as traditional as covering “Keep on the Sunny Side” while unusual guitar distortion and reliance on the pump organ and upright bass give them some character on other songs like “This Goddamn House” and “A Weary Horse Can Hide the Pain”. There is a base there for some straightforward catchy folk songs, but they make it their own adding the additional instrumentation.

The multitude of instruments played are arguably the most defining trait of The Low Anthem. On their albums it adds depth to their songs (sometime to the point of overkill, see 2011’s Smartflesh), while live it can be a blessing and a curse as well. I’ve seen them play sets to more receptive audiences (read:full of hipsters) and you can’t help but be intrigued when you see 34 instruments on stage. And you may ask yourself how did I get here?! is that a harp? Or, “what are they doing with their feet?”, when watching them trade off on that trademark pump organ. And you haven’t lived until you’ve seen someone play the crotales. Yep, that’s what all the kids are raving about these days. The crotales.

Even though I enjoy them even I have to admit there is a fine line between musical creativity and pretentious bullcrap when you are playing a hand saw on stage. But they’re from Brown, so you know, what the hell are you expecting? All the same, the strength is their music, more often played with just harmonica and electric guitar (“Yellowed by the Sun), or sometimes acoustic with sprinkling of various woodwinds (“Coal Mountain Lullaby”). Throughout their albums you’ll find a mixture of folk, blues, rock and it’s mostly good. And if the side effect of them trying to develop their own unique sound with unconventional arrangements is attracting a slew of hipsters, then I’ll be okay. I’m not allergic; if I were I’d be long dead by now. The dangers of trying to hear something different from a new band. At worst, it’s better than listening to Sally bitch about not getting respected enough at the office while slurring at the bar. Please people, just give The Low Anthem, and every opening band a shot. Well, unless they forget their crotales at home.