The new album by the Low Anthem, titled Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, has gotten buzz as the latest folk/Americana indie record. Don't believe the hype.
Not that this is a bad record. The title track is a nice falsetto sung acoustic track with beautifully hummed backing vocals and a lead even more high-pitched than Bon Iver. "To Ohio" has a low horn accompaniment; it sounds like a great opening for a romance movie. "Omgcd" follows the Fleet Foxes template of making songs that sound like they were written at a bonfire at summer camp.
Where this album runs into problems is the louder songs. They sound somehow contrived and uninvested, like they were forced onto the album to break up the quiet moments. "Home I'll Never Be" is the worst offender, all noise and yelled vocals that make me wonder how somebody can screw up a Tom Waits song so badly.
If you want Americana, look at new releases by Grizzly Bear and the Felice Brothers. File this one under mildly intriguing.
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