Duluth, Minnesota teams up with Melbourne, Victoria to record this six song CD in Amsterdam. Low's trademark minimalism sets the stage for each of these tunes, while the dramatic violin of The Dirty Three's Warren Ellis provides an additional musical thought process that retains the chilling purity of each song. The peacefully depressing cover of Neil Young's "Down by the River" tracks along at a snail's pace, intentionally accenting every note with a powerful undercurrent of tension and focus. Low's Mimi Parker's vocals have a warmer, more musical tone, possibly echoing a desperate urgency to placate inner demons. Parker's tenderly-created melodies hang heavily over several tunes, casting the classic minimalist spell; fewer notes can have just as powerful of an impact on the listener as a horde of frenetic power chords. While co-authored in theory, In the Fishtank sounds like another superb Low release with the addition of Ellis' exceptional musicianship. An even more entertaining proposition would be what this same interaction would sound like if The Dirty Three's feverish and sinuous playing was the foundation, instead of Low's plodding melodrama.

-- am