Hey What
by Low
  • Record Label: Sub Pop
  • Release Date: Sep 10, 2021
User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 27 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 27
  3. Negative: 2 out of 27
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  1. Jungstir
    Sep 10, 2021
    3
    Great vocals but sparse throughout the album. A bit too discordant for my taste with distorted guitar and keyboard work. I started listening and wondered if I blew my speakers. My suggestion it may sound better in an altered state.. Had to disagree with the critics on this one.
  2. Ricko
    Nov 4, 2021
    9
    "Hey What" continues in the vein of the glitchy experimentation of the challenging "Double Negative" however the flaws of that album have been addressed here and Low have made arguably their finest work in a decade here. The melodies delivered through the double vocal are exquisitely melded with the harsh electronics here to the extent that it is almost easy on the ear. They have managed"Hey What" continues in the vein of the glitchy experimentation of the challenging "Double Negative" however the flaws of that album have been addressed here and Low have made arguably their finest work in a decade here. The melodies delivered through the double vocal are exquisitely melded with the harsh electronics here to the extent that it is almost easy on the ear. They have managed to fuse a harsh industrial sound with almost hymnal style songs. There are of course tracks or at least decisions that you'd question on here. It's not perfect but it is a bit of a game changer. You can have glitchy post industrial music that is absolutely easy on the ear. One of my favourite records of the year.… Expand
  3. Monsieur_Croque
    Sep 12, 2021
    9
    While there was no way Low could recapture the utter surprise of the right turn they took on Double Negative, they come pretty close on Hey What. The vocabulary here is familiar to Double Negative, all distorted, overclipped, and damaged instruments accompanying clean vocal harmony. Some real moments of majesty on this one. I can only wonder how they'll pull this off live...
  4. All_ButTrU4
    Oct 25, 2021
    7
    Idiosyncratic, cold and enthralling. Feels like a continuation of "Double Negative's" austerity. Favourites:days like this,hey,all night,white horses.
  5. cadusoares
    Sep 10, 2021
    8
    A great aural experience. Some of the sonic landscapes on this album are surreal, specially when songs fade into each other. Plus, i love the contrast between forefront angelical vocals and the harsh walls of noise. A great experimental masterpiece.
  6. NWLondon
    Sep 10, 2021
    10
    Stunning! My favourite album of 2021 so far. Brutal, complicated music but the harmonies are beautiful and ethereal.
  7. spongki
    Dec 15, 2021
    8
    The indie spectrum was floored by the slowcore that had glitched beyond recognition, and what's more, from the giants who had single-handedly constructed the genre landscape regardless when 2018's enormously lauded Double Negative dropped. So when HEY WHAT showed up, I was pleasantly delighted to hear the band take a half-step back to their ambient roots while still embracing theirThe indie spectrum was floored by the slowcore that had glitched beyond recognition, and what's more, from the giants who had single-handedly constructed the genre landscape regardless when 2018's enormously lauded Double Negative dropped. So when HEY WHAT showed up, I was pleasantly delighted to hear the band take a half-step back to their ambient roots while still embracing their late-career fixation with electronic blips and fuzz-time distortions. It's inspiring to see artists who have been practicing their profession for decades and have never bowed to pressure to compromise their visions. They've let their sound evolve naturally, but (in some circumstances) rather abruptly and without reservations, resulting in work that is both relevant and comparable to their best.… Expand
  8. mjoa68
    Nov 19, 2021
    9
    Dark, twisted, brutal, heavy, glitchy, beautiful, harmonic, angelic and uplifting all at once. Low continue to not give an eff what others think and continue to make real music as a result. Another fine outing from one of my all time favourite bands.
  9. AskJeez
    Aug 16, 2023
    10
    Absolutely one of my top 10 albums of all time. Every song on this album reaches a strata beyond words where there is nothing left but awe. Songs fade in and out into noise and pure waveforms and approach the purely abstract. This album feels like facing death in a way, an abstract form that is simple, beautiful, and almost terrifying. Voices turn into sine waves, guitar riffs turn intoAbsolutely one of my top 10 albums of all time. Every song on this album reaches a strata beyond words where there is nothing left but awe. Songs fade in and out into noise and pure waveforms and approach the purely abstract. This album feels like facing death in a way, an abstract form that is simple, beautiful, and almost terrifying. Voices turn into sine waves, guitar riffs turn into pure noise. This album is profound and absolutely beautiful. An absolutely fitting final album and what a wonderful collaboration between BJ Burton and Low. Absolute masterpiece.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

73
#73 Best Album of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Dusted Magazine
    Sep 23, 2021
    80
    HEY WHAT is equally thrilling for the way they now sound impressively eloquent using it. If last time was learning and pushing towards a necessary change, HEY WHAT simply is living a different way, channeling the disarray of their noises and our world into something beautiful and moving, all the stronger for any fractures, cracks and fuzz.
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  2. Classic Rock Magazine
    Sep 15, 2021
    70
    As elegiac, brutally minimalist, silent and hymnal, disturbingly open and ultimately rewarding as before. [Oct 2021, p.77]
  3. New Musical Express (NME)
    Sep 13, 2021
    80
    In 2021, Low aren’t merely playing rock music gently and slowly: now they’re attempting to rewrite the language of the genre.
    Read full review
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