Alan Sparhawk has always been a prolific, protean musician. A restless soul eager to explore unfamiliar sonic and psychic terrain. Though hes obviously (and justifiably) best-known for his thirty years as frontman of the legendary band Low, a look at Sparhawks many side projects across that same span of time shows him experimenting with everything from punk and funk to production work and improvisation.
Low itself never settled for a set sound or approach. The band was always a collaborationa conversation, a romancebetween Sparhawk and his wife, Mimi Parker, who was the bands co-founder, drummer, co-lead vocalist, and its blazing irreplaceable heart. To take the journey from Lows hushed early work, through the tremendous melodies of their middle period, all the way to the late lush chaos of their final albums, is to witness heads, hearts, and spirits in an act of perpetual becoming.
Parker passed away in 2022 after a long battle with cancer, and there is no question that White Roses, My God is a record borne of grief. You can hear it in the title, as well as tracks such as Heaven, in which Sparhawk describes the afterlife, wrenchingly, as a lonely place if youre alone. You can sense it too in Sparhawks decision to create this thing entirely on his own: every note, every lyric, every programmed beat.
It would be reductive, even foolish, to see grief as the sole source or the final limit of this taut, brilliant, provocative, thrilling album, whose bold experimentation is powered by profound lyrics and propulsive beats.
Available on Ltd Clear Vinyl & CD
Tracklist:
01. Get Still
02. I Made This Beat
03. Not the 1
04. Can U Hear
05. Heaven
06. Brother
07. Black Water
08. Feel Something
09. Station
10. Somebody Else’s Room
11. Project 4 Ever
