retribution gospel choir: captains rest: glasgow

unlike our dear old greedy, grubbing, public purse snatching, it’s-all-within-the-rules-bullshitting, moat dredging, house renovating, capital gains tax avoiding, lying hypocritical bastard politicians i dear readers can hold my hands up and say hey losers, i made a mistake.

see when i first got hold of the retribution gospel choir record i pretty much dismissed it, gave it a few listens then tossed it aside mumbling to no-one in particular about how it sounded like cast-offs from the great destroyer.  did of course pick it up later and listen the shit out of it.  but by then the damage was done, the electorate lost faith in my abilities, a snap election was called and i was swiftly removed from musical office.  the neil and christine hamilton of rock.

fast forward a year, i’ve done the time, taken stock, self-flagellated, and as penance made my way on a delightful summers (well scottish summers) evening to the very nautical captains rest.  y’aahr.  *it’s a pirate noise*

alan sparhawk’s back (yay!) doing his plugged in, amped up, distorto rock thang.  indulging all his guitar slinging crazy horse meets creedence crackling fantasies.

where low were/are forever teetering on the edge, wallowing in quiet building tension and restrained noise, retribution gospel choir indulge in the emotional catharsis of cranking it up and bashing it out.

in fact two songs off the rgc album appear on low’s drums & guns – take your time and breaker.  it’s interesting to hear the flipside of the same musical coin.  the low breaker has staccato beat, handclaps and snowy duluth minimalism played out on three note organ.  the rgc breaker moves it from the abstract into the visceral.

our bodies break and the blood just spills and spills.

same line, different effect.

anyway the live show was not unhinged, but certainly untethered.  lots of six string churn and stoner fizz and some bad ass drumming to boot.  nearest comparison i can come up with is mark kozalek’s fuzzed up numbers.  see video below for what she turned into.  all joy and loveliness.  or silkworm (oh i haven’t listened to silkworm in ages).  all thick chord work and psyched out soloing.  but no dub.  i wanted dub dammit…

anyway on on kids (my highlight from said gig) they sounded almost, almost, like neil young & crazy horse.

those damned kids don’t they understand that you can’t do shit like that.

bloody kids…

on destroyer (my highlight from said album) they sound almost, almost, like iggy & the stooges.

yup.

disagree all you like.

s’true.

plus they scrubbed up nice in shirt and tie.  just like me.

the album’s out on caldo verde.  ltd vinyl available at aural exploits.