C'mon - Low
  • Band Name: Low
  • Record Label: Sub Pop
  • Release Date: Apr 12, 2011
Metascore
80 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 27
  2. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. Apr 14, 2011
    90
    Low's always been nothing but heart, but it's been a while since that heart has been as clear and strong as this.
  2. 90
    As the result of their impassioned musicianship and disciplined songwriting, this band has always had go-to credibility; with C'mon, they've raised the bar higher still.
  3. Apr 12, 2011
    90
    By stripping things back a little, Low have turned in their most confident, consistent record to date (admittedly this might have something to do with the fact that, running to only ten tracks, C'mon is also their shortest), and even, in places, sound like they're actually enjoying themselves.
  4. Apr 11, 2011
    90
    A good deal of the success of C'mon is down to its solid foundations – its quality song-writing and deft sequencing.
  5. Apr 8, 2011
    90
    C'mon is such a delight, simultaneously luscious in their orchestration and muted in their delivery. Beautiful.
  6. Apr 11, 2011
    81
    Musically, this is not a Low album that will catch anyone by surprise.
  7. May 27, 2011
    80
    Nothing But Heart finds Parker and Sparhawk meditatively harmonizing "I'm nothing but heart," over a pulsating rhythm section that glacially builds to a plangent crescendo, it's the pivotal moment on this superb record, but could also serve as the mantra for this terrific band's career. [May 2011, p.85]
  8. May 20, 2011
    80
    The less experimental C'mon is confident and warm, suggesting that the band let the reverberant setting dictate the tone.
  9. May 17, 2011
    80
    If you can cope with the intensity, tracks such as Done and the almost unbearably sombre $20 draw a mesmerising beauty from their anguish. [May 2011, p.119]
  10. May 3, 2011
    80
    This intensity and force, despite the stillness, brings a new dimension to Low's sound and makes C'Mon an interesting addition to an already impressive body of work. [Apr 2011, p.60]
  11. Apr 20, 2011
    80
    On Low's ninth full-length album, the slowcore trio from Duluth creates its most inviting work to date.
  12. Apr 12, 2011
    80
    C'mon, while well short of sunny, is an album devoted to the search for answers amidst the darkness, and it's a powerful, deeply moving work from a truly singular band.
  13. Apr 12, 2011
    80
    Whatever C'mon lacks in newness it more than compensates for in intimacy and richness.
  14. Apr 12, 2011
    80
    "Try To Sleep" and the Kool Keith quoting "Witches" are songs that join classics in their cannon. [May 2011, p.91]
  15. Apr 12, 2011
    80
    It wouldn't be a Low record without plenty of unease, but the soothing, uplifting music works at cross purposes to the lyrics.
  16. Apr 11, 2011
    80
    Blankly drawn out, they are as unlike expressive human speech as anything in rock.
  17. Apr 7, 2011
    80
    Spanning the chilling rock cacophony of Majesty/Magic and warm country stylings woven within Witches and Done, C'mon is an invitation too intriguing not to take up.
  18. May 20, 2011
    76
    The band is best when playing to a slow build and climax, which C'mon does beautifully, both as a whole and on individual songs.
  19. Apr 18, 2011
    75
    C'mon doesn't break much new ground for Low in the way that their last two records did, and that's clearly not the goal here.
  20. Apr 12, 2011
    75
    C'mon is an uneven record, but for every song that doesn't hit the mark, there's another that exhibits the band's mastery of patient eruptions.
  21. Apr 11, 2011
    75
    Here Low are, still going strong, still this consistent, still delivering vital albums like C'mon.
  22. Apr 12, 2011
    72
    C'mon feels more like a collection drawn from throughout the last decade than a completely cohesive album.
  23. Apr 12, 2011
    70
    C'mon, which was the band recorded in an old church in their hometown of Duluth, Minnesota, has moments of slowcore brilliance. [May 2011, p.93]
  24. Apr 11, 2011
    70
    C'Mon is a pause for breath, a likeable but slight addition to an impressive back catalogue.
  25. Apr 12, 2011
    63
    Sparhawk and Parker have written songs more memorable than the 10 collected on "C'mon." Maybe Beckley should've cracked the studio-pro whip.
  26. May 17, 2011
    60
    C'mon suggests their state of grace deserves a wider congregation. [May 2011, p.108]
  27. 60
    It seems like they just ran out of interest, and gave up.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. Not a masterpiece or turning point of their career-but another strong release from great band and welcome addition to their already fascinating back catalog. Full Review »
  2. C’mon is the ninth proper album by the slowcore masters and originators Low. Surely, you’ll find plenty of 2011 LPs with bigger and brisker tracks but few of them have such beautiful songs like this one. Both Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker (a happy rock’n'roll married couple) are great singers which is best heard on two opening tracks. While it’s not a record that may satisfy everyone, those admiring slow pace and minimal arrangements will find a haven here. Full Review »
  3. Very good album. Low really shaved the rough edges off for this one. It borrows more from the old days than from the last ten years of their career. Very accessible, but not a straight pop album at all. To me it's on par with Great Destroyer and Drum & Guns, but doesn't sound much like either of those albums. It's very even from song to song. None of the tracks are bad, but none hit the heights of favorite Low songs like Starfire, Silver Rider or, my personal favorite, Murderer. Full Review »