Low – C'mon

Low have been making beautiful albums for almost two decades now, but ninth effort C’mon may stand as their most gorgeous yet. The Minnesota trio have hinted at such aspirations since diversifying with 1999’s Secret Name, but it’s taken the channelling of overt rock sensibilities and gloomy, political rhetoric to fully clear the path for this full-on, unapologetic paean to love. It’s complemented by a lyrical directness to match their minimalism, with penultimate offering I’m Nothing But Heart simply repeating the title’s refrain to a building crescendo of hypnotic proportions.

Less is assuredly more, yet C’mon is steeped in some lavish production, relatively speaking. Opening gambit Try To Sleep is draped with twinkling xylophones, the tectonic lap steel rock of Witches is countered wonderfully by some bluegrass banjo picking and finale Something’s Turning Over bows out to a children’s choir. It sounds like Low are in their element once again, a trait which C’mon is rabidly infectious with. [Darren Carle]