People Are Strange Records
Dec 11th 2010
Francesca Baker
A band of two people, only one set of vocals and one instrument per song, just over three months on, and a five track EP. Not the stuff of seasonal excess – and so much the better for it. Minimalist but not emaciated, Low Duo have stripped back superfluities until all that remains is raw emotion and beautiful tunes to convey it. Sheffield brothers Adam and Leigh Greenwood, who have emerged from the embers of Dark Sparks to form their own two-piece outfit Low Duo state that ‘‘these are songs for the bedroom rather than the nightclub.’’ In this and the poetic emotion power, particularly of opener ‘Fifteen Years’ one can liken the listening experience that perhaps felt by early listeners of The Smiths, tumbling with their tortured soul. ‘I Want To Die on The Moon’ opens with harsh strikes against the guitar and strutting strings, which when laced with a solo strong yet vulnerable voice reminds of The Maccabees, especially in its intense build up. Foraging from some of the best of the musical canon, Low Duo have created a sound that is all their own. Church like chords on ‘I want to die on the moon’ are a little too repetitive, but the following ‘House On The Hill’ is redemptive in its haunting vocals. Both the lyrics and instruments are poetic, in the way that they encapsulate a feeling and confront you with it. Good stuff.