LOU BARLOW
Emoh
Merge
· These new solo adventures in hi-fi come on the heels of Sebadoh’s 2004 reunion tour.
Whether he was playing with his seminal indie-rock band Sebadoh or the groove-based Folk Implosion, Lou Barlow has spent more than his share of time in the recording studio. But when it came to archiving his solo material, home recording was the name of the game. From a series of cassettes on the Shrimper label to the hiss-heavy masterworks created under the Sentridoh moniker, Barlow has made lo-fi an esthetic rather than just a low-budget recording choice.
With his latest, Emoh (it’s more than irony – spell it backwards), Barlow does spend half the time at home, but he shrugs off his lo-fi recording roots by tracking and mixing in six different studios. Despite the nomadic production regime, the album doesn’t sound as fractured as you might expect. Barlow is often in the same territory he explored with his other bands, although with Sebadoh’s Jason Loewenstein only turning up for two tracks, the sound is much less rugged. Barely amplified, Barlow’s broken-hearted lyrics and vocal melodies come to the forefront – Emoh showcases his ability to probe the dark side and still sound sweet. "Caterpillar Girl" sounds like a Folk Implosion B-side without the heavy beats, but it comes off just as strong as anything Barlow has ever committed to tape. The only misstep comes in the form of the laughably bad album closer "The Ballad of Daykitty." I know some artists have a knack for writing about their pets, but with the vocals so high in the mix, this cat tribute is a head-scratcher.
Even so, Emoh succeeds on its own and as part of Barlow’s catalogue. Jangly and sad, it’s everything we have come to expect from this veteran indie rocker and it makes a great bookmark for whatever he decides to do next.
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