Subscriber Playlist (December 2022): Close and Sacred

A tribute to Low’s Mimi Parker.

On November 5, 2022, music lost one of its most distinctive and beloved voices. In 1993, Mimi Parker co-founded the band Low with her husband, Alan Sparhawk. They soon became one of indie-dom’s most consistent and acclaimed bands; with their glacial rhythms, sparse arrangements, and haunting vocal harmonies, Low was a defining act for the “slowcore” genre (though they themselves were averse to the term).

Parker was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December 2020 but kept her illness a secret until January 2022, when she revealed it during an interview. In the months to come, Low would cancel tour dates so that she could continue receiving treatment and hopefully recover. But on November 6, 2022, Sparhawk shared the sad news that Parker had passed the night before; she was 55 years old.

In the days following her death, there was a groundswell of love and support for Parker and the band, with numerous artists — Steve Albini, Geoff Barrow (Portishead), Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai), Maynard James Keenan (Tool), Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin), Sigur Rós, Slowdive, Tracey Thorn (Everything but the Girl), Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), to name a few — paying their respects. One of Low’s former bassists, Zak Sally, also shared a heartfelt tribute.

When Sparhawk announced his wife’s death, he wrote “Keep her name close and sacred.” So that’s what I’m doing with this month’s playlist. Low’s music has meant so much to me over the years, ever since I first heard “Words” as a college sophomore back in the mid ‘90s. It’s beautiful, austere, and challenging; despite their sound’s sedate nature, Low was never afraid to experiment recklessly, with often stunning and inspired results. And though their music can often be described as dark and melancholy, that’s precisely what allows it to be a comfort and a balm during difficult times.