Approaching Energizer Bunny territory with their tenth-full length release, Minnesota indie-rockers Low craft a solid set of tunes on 2013’s The Invisible Way. Helmed by husband and wife duo Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker, the band generally uses slow tempos and minimal instrumentation, and is considered one of the pioneers of the slowcore genre. Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy steps in as producer on the album, polishing a few rough edges here and there but overall working with a very light hand.
The songs on The Invisible Way fail to be as compelling as some of their earlier work on albums like 2002’s Trust as Low dabbles here in softer soundscapes and more straightforward song structure. “Amethyst”, “So Blue” and “Waiting” are likeable enough but lack the emotional rawness of a classic like “Time is the Diamond” (from Trust). The gorgeous self-harmonizing of Mimi Parker, a trademark of sorts for Low, is fine-as-ever on “Four Score” and “Holy Ghost”, but the songs themselves feel flat.
Parker features more prominently than usual on The Invisible Way, singing lead on 5 tracks including the clear highlight “Just Make It Stop”. The track is relatively fast paced for Low and features deftly layered guitar strumming and piano chords. Parker’s vocals are excellent as she manages to sound both emotive and restrained and her lyrics are on-point. As the track gains momentum behind her she practically bleeds the lines “You see I’m close to the edge/ I’m at the end of my rope/ The rope is starting to thread/ I’m trying to keep my hold”. You’d have to hear the exact phrasing of the lines to appreciate the maturity of her delivery, and the sheer beauty.
With better songwriting and perhaps a dash of innovation, The Invisible Way could easily be a great album. There are some great moments here, but lots of filler as well. Still, there’s no question that Low have another great album in them. Perhaps ten more.
