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Product Description
Review
Alan Sparhawk continues earnestly, whether he is working with his bigger act, atmospheric indie pioneers Low, or with this trio formed from Minnesotan musicians. His well-documented personal issues seem to have come to a final sort of a head (attendees at last summer’s End of the Road festival can probably testify to something similar after he lobbed his guitar into the audience) and, by the evidence displayed on this second Retribution Gospel Choir LP, he is taking his most positive steps to date. It is important to clarify, though, that these steps are explicitly expressional, not entirely musical. While much of 2 is rollicking stuff, there are occasional drops into the tepid.
On first inspection, the dusty, balls-out aesthetic is fiercely traditional, but buoyed by the considerable virtue of both Sparhawk’s emotive guitar playing and vocals. The record opens with one of his very strongest compositions to date, including his work with Low. Hide It Away is breathless, taut, energetic, shamelessly anthemic and everything a great rock song should be. Simplistic it may be at its core, but it pushes into artistically brutal areas that its composer is no doubt familiar with.
The weaker moments come with those compositions that may have been better explored with Low – a far more sensitive context. Poor Man's Daughter is not thunderous enough for all its bluster, and it is the song most clearly resembling the usual set-up of his better-known outfit. Furthermore, the examples that delve into rock’s blues history work least well in this trad-rock framework, and White Wolf proves it: the blue notes in the vocal are unnecessary and too obvious-sounding. Sparhawk has proved throughout his career that he need not rely on the roots of rock to make all of his musical gestures, so it’s jarring when settles for exactly that.
The rest of the record pretty much operates under that maxim – the experiments come off and leave the traditional world behind, making rewarding rock music. All the talk of Sparhawk releasing some pent-up anger through Retribution Gospel Choir seems a little too obvious, for this outfit is capable of producing some searing music – if only their leader would let go of his influences a little more, 2 could have been blinding. As things stand, it is merely very good and bodes well for both a third record and a great period for Sparhawk’s creativity. --Daniel Ross
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Rock music- a rather tired stagnant genre I would speculate. Either rehashing what has already gone before and not very well either or ........well doing not very much of anything . Very little gets me excited about rock music nowadays .It needs to move forward but it appears stuck , in a perpetual atrophy and well I ,ve made my point now I feel.
Retribution Gospel Choir are a rock band and to be honest they don't bring anything new to the table either. 2 Is not too surprisingly given its title their second album and may or not be a step up from their firstRetribution Gospel Choir .This is not something I can confirm one way or t,other because I've never heard it but what I can say with surety is that 2 is a big brazen confident album . It's repeat nothing original but it is for the most part crushingly entertaining in that way that loud anthemic rock music can be . The genre may be wedged in perpetual limbo but it can still be great fun.
That said it came as a shock that Alan Sparhawk of sad-core band Low was the main progenitor behind RGC, not that this stops the band rocking out most impressively at times. What is also notable is the albums brevity .Eight songs, two brief, mood-setting guitar interludes, 33 minutes and lots of breeze block crunching power chords and some squalling feedback .Eight minute epic "Electric Guitar " builds from a moody exhortation of anguished voice and sparsely strummed chords into a Crazy Horse like miasma of crusty riffs and powerhouse percussion. This is great but if the album entire did this it would rob the song of it's clout. So opener "Hide it Away " has a broad stroke chorus so utterly addictive I was singing along after roughly twenty seconds and boy did it feel good after a crappy day at work.
Talking of which "Workin Hard " has a radio hugging chorus that wouldn't shame a great rock album like R.E..M,s Document (Remastered) or Pearl Jam Ten while both "Your Bird " and "White Wolf " are more obtuse but still unreservedly addictive. The sprawling "Poor Mans Daughter " could not be more dissimilar and the discombobulated radio static of "Something's Going To Break " and the cello backed meagre heartbeat rhythms of closer "Bless Us All " showcase a band who though they might be making straight up rock music are not concerned with leaden authenticity or rock by numbers .
2 is a bold confident album not just in the music but in taking on something that appeared as tired and stale as an episode of "Last Of The Summer Wine " . Making rock albums like this nowadays is a valiant undertaking but RGC pull it off. They rock ,as I believe the saying goes. Don't believe me...look at the cover .Ice got shattered making this album.
Retribution Gospel Choir are a rock band and to be honest they don't bring anything new to the table either. 2 Is not too surprisingly given its title their second album and may or not be a step up from their firstRetribution Gospel Choir .This is not something I can confirm one way or t,other because I've never heard it but what I can say with surety is that 2 is a big brazen confident album . It's repeat nothing original but it is for the most part crushingly entertaining in that way that loud anthemic rock music can be . The genre may be wedged in perpetual limbo but it can still be great fun.
That said it came as a shock that Alan Sparhawk of sad-core band Low was the main progenitor behind RGC, not that this stops the band rocking out most impressively at times. What is also notable is the albums brevity .Eight songs, two brief, mood-setting guitar interludes, 33 minutes and lots of breeze block crunching power chords and some squalling feedback .Eight minute epic "Electric Guitar " builds from a moody exhortation of anguished voice and sparsely strummed chords into a Crazy Horse like miasma of crusty riffs and powerhouse percussion. This is great but if the album entire did this it would rob the song of it's clout. So opener "Hide it Away " has a broad stroke chorus so utterly addictive I was singing along after roughly twenty seconds and boy did it feel good after a crappy day at work.
Talking of which "Workin Hard " has a radio hugging chorus that wouldn't shame a great rock album like R.E..M,s Document (Remastered) or Pearl Jam Ten while both "Your Bird " and "White Wolf " are more obtuse but still unreservedly addictive. The sprawling "Poor Mans Daughter " could not be more dissimilar and the discombobulated radio static of "Something's Going To Break " and the cello backed meagre heartbeat rhythms of closer "Bless Us All " showcase a band who though they might be making straight up rock music are not concerned with leaden authenticity or rock by numbers .
2 is a bold confident album not just in the music but in taking on something that appeared as tired and stale as an episode of "Last Of The Summer Wine " . Making rock albums like this nowadays is a valiant undertaking but RGC pull it off. They rock ,as I believe the saying goes. Don't believe me...look at the cover .Ice got shattered making this album.
Format:Audio CD
Alan Sparhawk's Minnesotan trio RGC offer a high-energy alternative to his other band Low. This is ballsy, bluesy anthemic trad-rock, driven by Sparhawk's emotive guitar playing. He's obviously releasing some pent-up anger and tracks often start poppy & melodic and then turn into blistering psychedelic workouts as he loses his temper. Workin' Hard drops a killer riff straight off and then drives along to its Anthemic chorus. Electric Guitar is the real find though, fading in from somewhere distant, reading like an epic hymn to the instrument he obviously loves, and building to a monstrous solo with repeated chorus at the end. Marvellous job.
Format:MP3 Download
If you like me have the first album then this is a must buy great loud rock music considering that the leader of this band is from the slow core band Low (which I also love)
I do get the feel of Low but very heavy and electric like Low on speed sometime reminds me of Queens of the Stoneage (but more consistent)
So Alan Sparhawk and friends have turned out another classic
I do get the feel of Low but very heavy and electric like Low on speed sometime reminds me of Queens of the Stoneage (but more consistent)
So Alan Sparhawk and friends have turned out another classic
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