The lyrics that open Low's Drums & Guns are as forceful as singer/guitarist Alan Sparhawk is tentative.
"Pretty People," over a stark wave of fuzz, sets the tone for the record: "All the soldiers / They're all gonna die / All the little babies / They're all gonna die / All the poets / And all the liars / And all you pretty people / You're all gonna die."
It's a grim assessment, and the mood doesn't abate for the Minnesota band, known for its minimalist, slow songs and the often-haunting vocal interplay between Sparhawk and drummer Mimi Parker. (The two are married.) Low's 2005 album, The Great Destroyer, was louder, faster, and more accessible than anything the band had done, but Drums & Guns is a return to glacial pacing, with an experimental sound and a preoccupation with violence.
