Album Review: Low + Dirty Three – In The Fishtank 7

Low were in a particularly fertile phase creatively in 2001, and combining with violin based instrumentalists Dirty Three seemed like an inspired move.

I Hear… Goodnight sounds like a fairly standard Low track, albeit backed with violin, but their version of Neil Young’s Down By The River is the centerpiece.  It builds up very slowly, over half of the 10 minute duration elapses before the Mimi Parker sung melody is heard.  She takes an already dark song and makes it darker still, the unconventional treatment making it seem almost sinister.

Dirty Three’s violins combine well with Parker and Alan Sparhawk duet Invitation Day, while When I Called Upon Your Seed is almost gospel, sounding almost completely like a Low track.

The instrumental Cody on the other hand sounds like a Dirty Three track before the sitting-on-the-porch-rollicking-blues of Lordy brings things to a close.  It’s a barnstorming track, quite unlike anything in either band’s catalogues.

There is plenty here for fans of either band to get stuck into.