Things We Lost In The Fire
by Low
  • Record Label: Kranky
  • Release Date: Feb 6, 2001
Metascore
87

Universal acclaim - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. Dot Music
    100
    It's not too ambitious to suggest few other releases this year will match its grace, humanity and power.... A magnificent album.
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    91
    Just plain beautiful... carefully harmonized vocals and pellucid guitar hooks that rarely lapse into merely languid melodies. [2/16/2001, p.98]
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  3. New Musical Express (NME)
    90
    Low have always sought to make music that can both swell the heart like a gospel tune and capture the amplified absence of a funeral parlour. It's difficult to imagine a more perfect expression of their vision than this.
  5. Mojo
    90
    Measuring out grief and resilience with a steady hand, these are the best songs of Low's quiet career. [Feb 2001, p.98]
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  6. CDNow
    90
    Low has crafted a recording that exceeds its own high standards of creativity, harmony, and subtlety.
  7. Magnet
    90
    Low is the heaviest band in rock. [#48, p.100]
    All this publication's reviews
  8. AllMusic
    90
    Things We Lost in the Fire's slowly rising warmth and subtly hopeful tone not only make this Low's most cohesive, compelling collection, but one of 2001's best albums.
  9. Spin
    80
    It's impossible to discern whether Mimi Parker's newfound assertiveness as a harmony singer was inspired by, or the inspiration for, this more aggressive batch of songs, but it's this record's signal grace. [Apr 2001, p.158]
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  10. The Wire
    80
    Low's original stark minimalism has gradually given way to a broader sonic range, without sacrificing their strangely accessible otherness. [#204, p.68]
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  11. Alternative Press
    80
    Sparhawk and Parker's boy/girl vocals, Low's overall light instrumentation, and their minimalist approach to compostition all blend to produce an exquisite lethargy that's as haunting as Damon & Naomi's music. [#153, p.78]
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  12. Ink Blot Magazine
    80
    The voices are front and center throughout, but the trio has wrought its most elaborate frames for them yet: brass, strings, and distorted guitars amplify the songs' sentiments and reinforce the cumulative strength of their melodies.
  13. Neumu.net
    80
    Things We Lost in the Fire finds Low enamoured with harmonies, drawing from such disparate sources as Swans, the Beatles, Wire, and Simon & Garfunkel.
  14. Almost Cool
    80
    Low continues to create beautiful music.
  15. The A.V. Club
    80
    Low proves enormously versatile here, exploring musically and maturing lyrically.
  16. PopMatters
    80
    Things finds Low's measured atmospherics and gentle melodies further enhanced by layers of instrumentation -- for instance, cello, violin, piano, mellotron and trumpet. Moreover, it finds the band's melancholy and affecting textures coalescing even more into traditional song structures.
  17. Pitchfork
    80
    Things We Lost in the Fire's high points are, without question, the best they've done.
  18. Revolver
    80
    Probably the best indie drone rock since Galaxie 500 put the Velvets jangle to hypnotic use (although Low reach even greater peaks of elegant sublimity). [#4, p.106]
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  19. Nude As The News
    75
    Low's most accomplished album yet, if not its most creative.
  20. Spin Cycle
    75
    As unhurried and sonically majestic a slab as Low has ever produced.
  21. Wall of Sound
    70
    For each misstep (like the relentless snare drum on the opening track "Sunflower") there are moments of sublime beauty like "Laser Beam," which feels more like a prayer than a song.

Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Best Album of 2001
94
#94 Most Discussed Album of 2001
40
#40 Most Shared Album of 2001

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 31 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 31
  3. Negative: 3 out of 31
  1. All_ButTrU4
    May 8, 2022
    8
    Genuinely fantastic. A mixture of moods that range from nostalgic, sad,angry or disappointed this record moves without urgency. It's gradualGenuinely fantastic. A mixture of moods that range from nostalgic, sad,angry or disappointed this record moves without urgency. It's gradual pace allows songs to develop into delicate compositions . One of their bests.… Full Review »
  2. Ricko
    Jul 24, 2012
    8
    Seriously mellow, seriously good record from Low. Probably the best slowcore album you'll come across. The first 4 tracks are absolutelySeriously mellow, seriously good record from Low. Probably the best slowcore album you'll come across. The first 4 tracks are absolutely brilliant. The middle section has peaks and troughs while the final section is consistently good stuff again. It's not for everyone - I'm sure some people will find it a bit dreary but when you listen to this up close it's got some stunning stuff on it.… Full Review »
  3. DuncanB
    Oct 24, 2006
    9
    A very lovely album.
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