The Low Anthem – Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

I found this item after reading a bit of hype press in Rolling Stone. I’m glad I did, but after a half-dozen listens or so, I’m still a little trying to figure out whether it is a good album or a good collection of songs.

The songs on Oh My God, Charlie Darwin evoke the various styles and tempos of the folk cannon with talent and grace. For comparative reasons, I can say that on most of their songs, their sound ranges from The Thorns to Nickel Creek to Simon and Garfunkel. And across those those songs, their sound is consistent, but varied. Most importantly, these songs are beautiful. “To Ohio,” in fact, is such a gorgeous track that it feels unusually necessary that they reprise it at the end of the disc.

So here’s the rub: right in the middle of the album are the songs, “The Horizon is a Beltway,” “Home I’ll Never Be,” and “Champion Angel.” These songs are raucous, back of the train romps. With raspy, sometimes distorted vocals, a heavy bass drum and loads of harmonica, they have the bluesier quality that Bruce Springsteen has gone for on songs like “Good Eye” and his newer concert take on “Reason to Believe.”

(Brief interjection. Listening to “Champion Angel,” I can’t help but thing that Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes and Craig Finn of the Hold Steady would each bring a lot to this song. I don’t know if all three will be there, but if so, that’s my Bonnaroo wish.)

Now, let me tell you, I love these songs. I think their lyrics, as with the entire album, are impressively vivid and well crafted. I think they’re a lot of fun to listen to. I just don’t see how they fit on this particular album. The transition is just too jarring. At a live show, I think this setlist would work fine, but as a record, it strikes me as odd.

Now, a complaint without a solution is fairly worthless. I know this. So here’s my question to the band: Why not make “Ticket Taker” the third track on the album? Beyond possessing the best lyric of the album, its quiet, yet grizzled delivery would have transitioned the listener from the gorgeous melody of “To Ohio” to the hellfire of “Horizon.” I think that  small switch would have helped me unlock this album far more quickly.

So, despite this complaint that you might say is a bit on the trivial side, I really do enjoy the Low Anthem. Their songs show an appreciation of their medium. Like Old Crow Medicine Show, they have an uncanny ability to deliver timeless songs and make something old sound brand new. Low Anthem has the rare understanding from a young band that they do not need to reinvent the wheel in order to stand out and succeed.