Retribution Gospel Choir, Retribution Gospel Choir

reviewed by dave heaton

With Retribution Gospel Choir, Alan Sparhawk takes his songs, similar songs to those he writes for Low (in two cases, the same songs Low has recorded, even), and gives them a hard-rock crunch. Think a dark tone and bludgeoning guitars/bass/drums, especially in the first half of the album. But it’s not a gimmicky move at all, and doesn’t come off as theatrical. That style of playing fits the songs, fits the struggle and pain and wondering in them. Struggle is a word I keep coming back to…human struggle is at the center of these songs, while the guitars struggle fire, try to shake it off, leaving blazes everywhere they go. Crazy Horse is likely to be mentioned, but Retribution Gospel Choir don’t let themselves fly off in the same way; their playing is intent, compact, tough.

About halfway the album, “Destroyer” and “Holes in Our Heads” put the pain within the album’s core on stark display, partly by letting Sparhawk’s voice stand alone a bit, a smart move, whether his words are matched by blistering, annihilating playing or by more mournful playing. From that point of the album on, they start directing their strength in somewhat more of a pop/rock direction, with great results. The trio “What She Turned Into”, “For Her Blood” and “Kids” are all rock anthems with fantastic melodies but still the rough-and-tumble-ness of the earlier tracks. The more you stick with the album the more it reveals itself as much more than a one-trick-pony. This isn’t “Low gone rock” – that’s already happened on recent albums, anyway. This is a kick-ass rock band playing songs that have deep feeling within them but also that kick of playing loud and letting it all blaze away.

{www.caldoverderecords.com}