Low

Low has the sort of soundtrack quality that's quietly tucked into expansive landscape shots and dwindling moments of self-realization. Every album is a score to some unwritten indie flick that centers on a smart, repressed antagonist and the vain pursuit of a more perfect life. The Duluth, Minnesota, threesome -- made up of drummer/vocalist Mimi Parker, guitarist/ vocalist Alan Sparhawk and bassist Zak Sally -- has earned acclaim for its minimalist production and introspective snail rock. Thirteen years on, Low is the kind of band that's a constant critic's choice but has yet to register a blip on the radars of a mainstream audience. The Great Destroyer, the group's seventh full-length and first for indie magnate Sub Pop, is a paced progression that many naysayers will peg for being too produced and, if possible, rocking too much. But the added layers of guitars and drums are not so much intrusive as they are a turning point in a long musical career that's ready to climax.