Retribution Gospel Choir – 2

Alan Sparhawk joked recently about how he's done things in reverse throughout his musical career, starting out hushed and quiet and gradually getting louder and more clamorous as he's grown older. The last couple Low albums clearly attest to that (as does his work with the Black Eyed Snakes), but it seems that Sparhawk's discordant underpinnings are fully realized on 2, the raucous and free-spirited new album from the Duluth three-piece Retribution Gospel Choir. It's a cacophonous, stormy record that features far more retribution than gospel within its ten songs, and chugs along with an intensity and focus that Sparhawk always brings to his disparate projects.The albums bursts out of the gate with the dynamic first single 'Hide It Away,' which is one of the more conventional songs Sparhawk has ever released, but also one of the most indelible. It's a propulsive, forceful number that just grows in potency, and features a fiery guitar solo over aggressive, staccato drum fills.'Your Bird' quickly builds on that momentum, echoing Queens Of The Stone Age a bit with the reverb-heavy stoniness of the crunchy guitar riff. The song explodes at the start, demanding the listeners full attention-if 'Hide It Away' didn't capture it already. The songs on 2 all feature Sparhawk's unhinged guitar work, but remain tethered to melody and order through the capable and steady rhythm section of drummer Eric Pollard and current Low bassist Steve Garrington, who have both really crystallized their own sound and style within the group.The album beats with a relentless pace, and is over in a scant 34 minutes, but that by no means signifies a trifling listen, for 2 is a rather dense, wholly affecting work that continues an extensive creative peak for Sparhawk. He's clearly enlivened and enjoying himself immensely on this album, and that exuberance shines through on every track. 'Workin' Hard' could be an outtake from Boston's debut album (believe me, that's a compliment), and blends right into the sprawling tension of 'Poor Man's Daughter,' which anchors the first half of the album in the same way that 'Electric Guitar' fortifies the second half. They both form sturdy, expansive bookends to the record which allows Sparhawk the freedom to explore his vigorous guitar sound, shrugging off his unruffled poise and coming completely unglued while losing himself entirely in the magic of the moment. The rest of the band drives on dutifully behind Sparhawk, providing the proper turbulent musical landscape for him to get lost in.The production throughout the album is polished but never heavy-handed, giving the album a live feel while also providing enough sonic flourishes to surprise the listener. Especially on 'Something's Going To Break,' which starts out like a roar from within a cave, with muted drums and heavily distorted lyrics, before eventually 'breaking' into the combustible full band sound over two-minutes into the song. It sets the mood well for the rush of 'Electric Guitar' which finds Sparhawk pouring every ounce of himself into the track, leaving nothing left to say except the sweet lullaby of 'Bless Us All,' which closes out the album in a sincere and stirring manner. With 2, Retribution Gospel Choir have coalesced into something stronger that just another Alan Sparhawk side project; they've forged their own way amidst the often cold desolation of Duluth, and crafted another captivating musical outlet to help people forget about the harsh northern winters and start thinking about the promise of heartier times.