As amazing as Low’s last album — 2018’s more electronic-oriented Double Negative — is, quarantine-induced dreariness has had me in the mood for the more bare bones sound Low had in the ’90s, which sent me back to this ACTV session from 1996. That’s the year they released their EP with their inventive cover of Joy Division’s “Transmission,” and they played that here, alongside a nice selection of originals from the era. Even with Low as established as they are now, it’s incredible to see how emotionally devastating they sound with such a small, stripped-back setup.
The sheer amount of talent needed to make music like this is insane. This is the epitome of “less is more”. Low are subtle on a level that other bands can only dream of.
The Fat Angel Sings 