Sounds Of Sota #2: "Plays Nice Places" by Low

"All you guys out there gonna wish you were Al Green..."

Hello again, music fans! Welcome to Sounds Of Sota #2!

For those who are unfamiliar with Sounds Of Sota, it's a running column in which we ask one of our contributors to review new albums & EP's from Minnesota artists. In sticking with our desire to rank and rate everything the albums are given a score of 1-10 at the end of the column.

This time around we asked TCDroogsma to give us his thoughts on Minnesota institution Low's new live EP “Plays Nice Places.”

TCDroogsma, thoughts?

When I first heard about Plays Nice Places I was intrigued for two reasons.

First, for nearly 20 years Low has perfected the art of getting just as much out of silence as they have out of sound. I was curious to see how that would translate to a live album. Would the crowd appreciate the silence with reverence or would the constant hum of a live album threaten the balance upon which the songs are built?

Second (and more personally), I've seen Low twice. The first time was an absolutely transcendent performance opening for Wilco on the banks of Lake Superior. Despite the presence of rain and temps that couldn't have been above 60, that show made me a Low fan for life. The second time I saw them was at the Mainroom as part of a packed bill for a Radio K benefit. Honestly, I could barely keep my eyes open during the set.

Now, what I've come to realize about both of those shows is that the band's performance likely wasn't dramatically different and that my experience at each one was driven almost entirely by surroundings and circumstance. With that in mind, Plays Nice Places had the potential to settle (at least in my mind) just what kind of live entity Low really is.

What we get with Plays Nice Places is a band at the peak of their powers, for better or worse.

Opening with the classic “Words,” Plays Nice Places starts on its highest note. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I've built something of a cottage industry in our Songs Of The Week column by taking shots at Ben Gibbard. Here, however, his voice provides a warmth that is almost non-existent in Alan Sparhawk & Mimi Parker's song-to-song existence. Despite the presence of some insufferable giggling, Gibbard's cameo gives the album some sorely needed color. It's just a shame that, as the opener, you don't realize just what a treat his presence turns out to be.

The rest of Plays Nice Places is certainly enjoyable (if risk-averse). While it's hard to believe that a band with the longevity of Low could be distilled to six songs, they manage to pull it off by pulling the 6 songs from 5 albums ("Waiting" stands as the only new track on the EP). Sadly, the songs, while very good in their own right, are rarely the highlight's from their parent albums. This EP is just dying for an elongated, fuzzed-out version of “Broadway” or perhaps a more fragile take on something like “Dust On The Window.”

Still, a sheen of professionalism hangs over the proceedings. With the exception of a joke introducing Gibbard and a brief introduction to “Murderer,” we're given precious little personality from the band. Whether it's the aforementioned reverence or editing, there is almost no existence of crowd noise during the songs. The band's harmonies are more calculated than inviting, and Sparhawk's singing stays between the lines so consistently that it's jarring to hear him channel a bit of Westerberg for a sneer at the end of “Witches.”

Depending on your expectations of Plays Nice Places, it's either an enjoyable (if somewhat disposable) portrait of a band (if you're one of the converted) or “...another Low record, eh?” (if you're not). Frankly, with 19 years in the bank, most people have formed an opinion of Low already.

Still, it would be foolish to complain about a free, live EP. As an unabashed fan of the band, I'm certainly thankful that this document exists. To the uninitiated, it's unlikely to be the skeleton key to fandom (The Great Destroyer is still their most important album from that perspective), but in an indie-rock world that currently celebrates a genre-hopping, bigger is better, more is not enough attitude, it's good to remember that Low, whether live or on record, commands a niche that belongs only to them.

Final Score: 7/10

There you have it, everybody. The new Low EP reviewed by a Low fan. As mentioned, “Plays New Places” is free. Click here to visit Low's page to download the album for yourself (right-hand side of the page).

For more TCDroogsma he can be found on Twitter (@TCDroogsma). He also maintains a personal blog Flatbasset and hosts Newest Industry's weekly Flatbasset podcast. And no, he's never adequately explained to us what “Flatbasset” means.

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