Low take the Violet Path

When I was back at my parents' place in Scotland a couple of weekends ago, I was rudely awoken on the Friday morning by a friend's phone call. However I wasn't mad at having my lie-in disturbed - I got some important news that needed action! That news was that Low is playing at The Spitz on 15 February next year and that there were tickets still going. That's Low. At The Spitz! I rushed to find an internet connection, but by the time I had logged on, the tickets were gone. So no intimate evening for me and 249 other people, with Low playing in the middle of the room. Shame.

In the meantime, I'll have to console myself with the news of their new album, tentatively called The Violet Path, next spring. I love Low. There are always times when I need the slow-burning beauty of their songs in my life. Their last album The Great Destroyer was, in my humble opinion, their best yet, so I'm expecting great things of the new one. Alan Sparhawk told Pitchfork "Near as I can tell, it's all about killing. I was kind of realizing the other day that a lot of the songs deal with either killing someone or dying." So a radical departure then, from the people who started their classic Things We Lost in the Fire with the lyric "When they found your body..."

To add to the anticipation, the new record will include Murderer - the lead track from their 2003 limited edition 10 inch EP, which also contained an early version of Silver Rider (from The Great Destroyer). So I've dug it out, given it a listen, and posted the two rarer tracks for your listening pleasure. Murderer can whet your appetite for The Violet Path, and you can enjoy From Your Place on Sunset, a lovely long ponderous song which may not crop up anywhere else again.

Now, can anyone get me a ticket for The Spitz?

Download: Low - Murderer
Download: Low - From Your Place On Sunset

Buy The Great Destroyer and Things We Lost in the Fire