Dirty Three - Towards The Low Sun Album Review

By Harry Harris / February 23, 2012

rating: 5

In an era when much music is seen as so disposable and instant success and sales are favoured over longevity and originality, it is genuinely exciting to listen to a band that are in this game for the long haul. Fifteen years after the release of their first record, legendary Australian instrumental trio Dirty Three return with this collection of partly improvised, beautifully arranged tracks, proving that despite all their other artistic endeavours, when these musicians come together something truly unique occurs. What is perhaps most impressive about this record is its restraint. Post-Rock is often categorised by an absence of recognisable structure, long, sprawling solos and, at times, a degree of self-indulgence. Not so on Toward The Low Sun, with none of its nine tracks straying far over the 5 minute mark, and each one as perfectly structured as the last, though you wouldn€™t assume this to be the case from the opening track Furnace Skies. Mick Turner€™s distorted and dulled electric guitar rattles through the speakers, Jim White clatters like a hurricane over his drum kit and Warren Ellis plucks and bows his way around the violin as he does so well in his work with Grinderman and The Bad Seeds. The whole album is intensely cinematic, but this song in particular sounds like it€™s been plucked straight from the psychedelic Western El Topo. The track€™s more free-form sound almost feels like the band getting used to playing with each other again, experimenting with different noises, tones and textures, before slowing down into the haunting Sometimes I Forget You€™ve Gone, a real highlight of the album. With this song the band do what all instrumental bands aspire to, and that is to create deep emotional resonance and almost tell a story using just their instruments. Ellis puts down his violin and takes the lead on piano while Turner plays beautifully to support the achingly gorgeous yet simple melody. The combination between these two sounds conveys a kind of stoicism, of getting on with life after heartbreak, whilst buried beneath is uncontrollable sadness or anger. White€™s drumming and the use of the gong perfectly encapsulates all that is left unsaid. Toward The Low Sun is full of these sonic narratives with sparse, restrained instrumentation throughout, and if any comparisons could be made then certainly the instrumentation and experimental attitude on display does call to mind acts like Tom Waits or even at times Eels. However, this is not to say that these songs would benefit from a growling, literate vocalist, not at all, they are fully formed beasts in and of themselves and their impact is immediate and deeply affecting. An early contender for album of the year. Dirty Three's Towards The Low Sun is available from Monday 27th February.