ACL Preview – The Low Anthem

For my first artist recommendation for your ACL festival trip this coming fall, I have chosen a band called The Low Anthem. I first discovered this band from a Paste Sampler late last year. The name of the song was “Charlie Darwin” and I absolutely loved it.  It is a hauntingly gorgeous song.  It’s the title track for their second album, originally released late last year.  Oh My God, Charlie Darwin has been re-mastered and is being reissued on Nonesuch records June 9th with an updated tracklisting and new packaging.

The Low Anthem reigns from Rhode Island and consists of Ben Miller on vocals and guitar, Jocie Adams on clarinet, and Jeffrey Prystowsky on bass.  But each of them play an array of other instruments on the album and during their live shows.  They have garnered a lot of praise  from the indie music critics.  Paste Magazine called them “time-honored and astonishingly innovative.”  And they have gotten many comparisons to both Bob Dylan and Tom Waits.  That is in part due to the rough singing on some of the latter tracks on the album, or the Waits song that they cover on the new album.  But I think it’s mostly due to the sincerity found in their songwriting.  So listen to this great song and add The Low Anthem to your list of bands to see at Austin City Limits this fall.

The Low Anthem – Charlie Darwin

If you need more convincing you can stream their first album here.