Who and why?
Don’t be my personal savior I would not be saved
I chose to walk alone
The Low Anthem is Ben Knox Miller, Jeff Prystowsky, Jocie Adams, and Mat Davidson. Based in Providence, Rhode Island, these guys are a great indie/Americana band. After putting out two prior records,they gained some traction with the re-release of their second record Oh My God, Charlie Darwin on Nonesuch Records back in mid 2009 but are still yet to enter the ears of many people.
One of the reasons why I really enjoy this band is because of their mix of slower Americana tunes with the uptempo, distorted rock blues tracks, and an occasional twang. Oh My God, Charlie Darwin doesn’t sit in one just genre for all 12 tracks. The record starts off rather slow with the title track Charlie Darwin, but the overall mood and atmosphere of the record morphs with each song. Each song has a consistently amazing ambiance and atmosphere to it, but also with a slice of originality that helps the record from becoming monotonous.
How?
If your heart is unemployed
Do not rush but do not stall
For I am waiting
I came across this band while doing a routine “New Music Tuesday” search on iTunes. I usually prefer to go through the indie listings and find something that either has intriguing artwork or an attractive name. This band had neither.
I’m not sure exactly why I decided to divulge myself in their music, but I’m glad I did. I hate the 30-second previews iTunes gives you but I like to use them as a good jumping off point. My interest was sparked after hearing the preview of the first 4 tracks. I pulled up a quick Google search and navigated my way towards their home page and MySpace page where I was able to listen to the full tracks.
I fell in love with their sound and Ben Knox Miller’s vocals in particular—both of which are scratchy and contagiously intriguing. You can’t help but listen on.
Much to my dismay, this record sat in my iTunes library for a while before I was able to fully immerse myself in it, but it has since quickly become one of my favorite records.
If you like ambient acoustic rock, bluesy drinking songs, M.Ward, Marah, Ray LaMontagne, or Wilco, definitely check these guys out.
You can visit them on any one of these sites:
Official Website
Twitter
Facebook
MySpace
What do you think of the Low Anthem?
cavaAdo 