Disappears are always up for a challenge, whether it's honing their garage-meets-shoegaze-meets-Krautrock into ferocious minimalism on albums like
Irreal, or covering
David Bowie's groundbreaking electronic album Low with nary a synth to be heard. Commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art of Chicago to commemorate the opening of the traveling David Bowie Is... exhibition,
Low: Live in Chicago grows more compelling as it unfolds. While the band sounds more than competent on blazing renditions of "Breaking Glass" and "What in the World, more experimental tracks such as "A New Career in a New Town" and "Warszawa" allow
Disappears more room to put their own stamp on the music. Not surprisingly, preparing for this performance also influenced
Irreal's stark soundscapes, and it's not hard to connect the dots between that album and highlights like "Weeping Wall." Equally playful and cathartic,
Low: Live in Chicago balances homage and reinvention in just the right amounts. ~ Heather Phares