Dirty Three
Lowlands

How to define the music of Dirty Three? Many bands do without lyrics in their songs, yet they do it with a different, peculiar, and immediately recognizable attitude, thanks to Warren Ellis's violin, Jim White's 'moodful' drumming, and Mick Turner's exceptional guitar skills. In the post-rock field, the group holds a respectable position, making it difficult to associate them with the rest of the genre, starting from their place of origin: Australia, with its suggestions, vast spaces, and wild colors.

Lowlands was released in 2001, distributed during the trio's concerts with the intention of giving fans a collection of songs recorded during the 1998-1999 European tour, material that would otherwise never have seen the light of day. It starts in London with the outtakes of the previous “Whatever You Love You Are”, passes through Dublin accompanied by a couple of songs performed for a radio show, and ends with the last 3 tracks in Paris.

The tones of the album are much calmer compared to previous works: in fact, the violin and piano are kept much more in the background in favor of the other instruments.
In “Kangaroo”, for example, the violin repeats the same chord, but the broken rhythm of the drums changes the tone and mood of the piece until it returns to the initial calm. If we consider “Lowlands”, it's the guitar that takes the lead, while Ellis keeps the violin in the shadows and supports Turner's textures. The folk roots serve as a transition while waiting for the next “She Has No Strings Apollo”. An evolution that feeds on honesty, tradition, and intimacy, escaping from noise and delighting in contemplating mists and boundless territories.

Sure, the album does not stand out for the brilliance of insights. The production is sparse because it is not an album made to be sold regularly, although it is possible to get it on the band's official website.
Logically, those who got to know Dirty Three starting with the masterpiece “Ocean Songs” will find the album not up to the previous ones and I think starting to get to know this group from here is not ideal. At the same time, however, I think that minor works should also be considered to fully understand the trio's formula.