January 27-February 2, 2005

musicpicks

Low

Rock/pop

Not quite the Big Rock Album that Sub Pop would like to pass it off as, Low's The Great Destroyer ought at least to banish words like "slow" and "quiet" from the band's reviews. The towering clouds on the album's cover presage a gathering storm which breaks through, dissipates and regroups as The Great Destroyer's 13 songs explore past regrets and uncertain futures. Like their tourmates Pedro the Lion, Low's Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker have never worn their religion on their sleeves, but the album's righteous fury and spiritual longing is hard to mistake, even if its most poignant track, "Death of a Salesman," concerns a musician's decision to put aside his guitar in order to feed his family. Considering last year's triple-CD collection, A Lifetime of Temporary Relief, was still not sufficient to round up a decade's worth of nonalbum songs, it's clear that music is as much their calling as their career.

Wed., Feb. 2, 6 p.m., $12-$14, with Pedro the Lion, The Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 215-922-LIVE.

—Sam Adams