The cover of Joy Division's "Transmission" shines.
09/03/1998
(3 out of 5 stars)
"To put it in non-muscial terms, I've always found Low's music to be about patience and reward, and the rewards are great with Low's wonderful cover of Joy Division's "Transmission." From the simple, haunting beginning to the soaring finale, Low evokes the sound of Joy Division while making the song their own. The rest of the EP, however, is a test of patience: seemingly an attempt to reduce their musical minimalism to a tedious academic exercise. Caroline 2, for example, gives us the long build-up of Long Division's Caroline (but drawn out to absurd lengths), while denying us the original's cathartic release. The other songs are similarly a drag. But hey! This is an EP - get it for that great cover; you can ignore the rest."