album review

the low anthem: smart flesh

The Low Anthem, our friends from Providence, Rhode Island, wooed indie-folk fans with their New England pastoral aesthetics. Artists like Sam Beam had previously revitalized the rustic sound causing an unconscious association between the folk genre and Southern, country life. The Low Anthem’s second album, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, augmented our folk palettes, as it provided a new found appreciation for the land of autumn leaves. While I’m often scorned by the statement, “Labels are for soup cans,” it’s difficult to avoid recognizing The Low Anthem as the archetype of indie folk. The quartet’s output includes attributions from such a wide array of emblematic, folk instruments often disguising them as a complete orchestra. Additionally, the band self-released their two, earliest albums, dumpster diving to collect materials needed to produce album sleeves. Although they are now members of Nonesuch Records, The Low Anthem’s latest album, Smart Flesh, embodies the self-assembled grit of passionate music making…