At the tail end of the summer, The Low Anthem rolled through Cleveland, a mere pit stop en route to Lollapalooza in Chicago.  As we’ve mentioned throughout the year, this is pretty typical.  Cleveland hosts the late Tuesday night shows as road weary musicians make the trek across the midwest.  It’s a rare occasion that the stars align and our favorite acts arrive in town on a weekend.  As the trio launched into “To Ohio” from Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, time essentially slowed and location became a non-issue.  To me, this June release seems as though it’s been on my turntable since January.  The lush harmonies and wicked narrative undercurrents of this gem far outreach its contemporaries in Americana influenced rock.  Whether it’s the sharp metaphorical lyricism of its title track, or the soothing balladry of “Ticket Taker,” the album soars and mystifies from top to bottom.

Last night, I went for a drive with a lady friend of mine and I played “To The Ghosts Who Write History Books” along the way.  Her immediate response mirrors the response I give the many of the songs on the album.  “This song is moving,” she naively replied, having no previous attachment to The Low Anthem.  I think this is what struck me from the starting gun.  The album intertwines earthy tones and intriguingly ambiguous lyrical content better than most, if not all, albums I’ve listened to in 2009.  In the previously mentioned song, the WWI pump organ drones incessantly in the background, evoking smoother, simpler times.  Lyrics unabashedly cover a myriad of topics, as well, throughout the record.  Slave narratives (“To Ohio”), extended metaphors (“Ticket Taker” and “Cage the Songbird”), and boot stomping bar tracks (“omgcd” and “The Horizon is a Beltway”) all rip through the album in the most intelligent way.  Discerning listeners fall deep into the aura of the album.  The tug of war between upbeat and solemn dirge is well-played, as well.  The instant you’ve got your thumb on the band’s sound, they shift into Tom Waits covers and bopping rock n’ roll.  Clarinets, chimes, soft percussion, that pump organ, harmonicas, and subtle synthesizers pepper the record.

As I write this, I’ve found that it’s more difficult than I initially expected, despite the fact that I reviewed it fully months ago.  When you spend so much time with a record, it’s difficult to describe and explain its value in minuscule phrases.  To me, this album represents the entire year.  I can’t remember a time when the vinyl wasn’t directly next to my turntable, or the CD version wasn’t sitting in my in-dash.  I’ve played this album hundreds of times this year, and its staying power is noteworthy, as the masterful arranging piques interest or uncovers a new nuance I didn’t catch originally.  As a literature teacher, I think I warm up to the lyrical effort, but that wouldn’t necessarily stand alone without the powerful music attached to it.  Tracks speak of the inevitability of death and the cyclical nature of all things natural.  It moves through pining ballads of pain and calming poems of individual triumph.  When performing live, the band rolls in wearing dusty outfits as if they’re coming straight from an abandoned mine shaft.  They’re also all ivy league educated.  This juxtaposition initially screams “forced” but one spin through the album will justify how well they pull off this unique blend of image and sound.  Maybe that’s what endears me to the album.  At no time does the record seem forced or trite, despite the risk the band takes hearkening back to genres that once were.  Instead, a lush and gorgeous album is the result.  They took a hack for the fences with OMGCD and knocked it out of the park.

Enjoy the album’s title track, as well as two live cuts we took from their summer show at The Grog Shop, including “To Ohio” and “Ticket Taker.”  I’ve also included the wicked video for “Charlie Darwin.”  Pick this album up via our link if you’ve not had the chance to listen.

The Low Anthem Official Site

Buy Oh My God, Charlie Darwin via Insound now!

The Low Anthem – Charlie Darwin

The Low Anthem – Ticket Taker (Live at Grog Shop)

The Low Anthem – To Ohio (Live at Grog Shop)