Low

Low

(Chairkickers Music) Overstimulated in general, a lot of folks dismissed Low as too slow, too sleepy, too boring to pay attention to. Those who sat quietly and listened, however, have been treated to the spellbinding evolution of a band in harmonic symbiosis. Like Sonic Youth, Low falls into the category of aging-punkers-with-families, for whom music is inextricably woven into life, love, and spirit. Married Mormon Minnesotans Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker have parlayed their spirituality, song craft, and presentation into something that can surely be considered new American folk music of the 21st century. Beginning with their earliest home recordings, A Lifetime of Temporary Relief traces the group's growth over a 3-CD/1-DVD set. Highlights of disc one include the first songs written and recorded by the band, a slew of four-tracks, and a cover of the Bee Gees' "I Started a Joke." Disc two picks up steam with copious B-sides and 7-inch releases, a beautiful, aching take on George Harrison's "Long Long Long," and is topped with outtakes from 2000's excellent Secret Name. Disc three takes it to the limit with an awesome alternate version of "I Remember," also off Secret Name, as well as covers of Journey's "Open Arms," Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind," and Pink Floyd's "Fearless." Disc four, the DVD, features three documentaries by Marc Gartman, in which Sparhawk and Parker are seen in their natural state, serenading their toddler to sleep with a backstage version of the Beach Boys' "Surfer Girl," covering Neil Young's "Down by the River" in Holland with Dirty Three, and recording Trust in a frozen church in Duluth. The flip side of the DVD contains videos for "Words," "Shame," "Over the Ocean," and "Looking Out for Hope," all produced by the Harder-Fuller team of Minneapolis. In the years to come, Low will trudge onward across the vast tundra of gross underappreciation, but in retrospect, their canon will likely be seen as one of the most important and influential of our time, so you might want to start paying attention.