For 20 years, the Duluth, Minnesota-based band Low has been delivering haunting music driven by the vocal harmonies of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker. With each album you know what you are going to get, because they seldom stray from their original formula. This is not to say the music is boring, dated, or predictable, because it is far from that. With each album they are able to deliver tunes that rely on transcendent lyrics and sparse melodies, creating powerful yet minimalist music.

Their latest endeavor, The Invisible Way, is no different, as Low continues to do what they do best. With past albums, a storied host of producers have come and gone, and for this album, Wilco‘s Jeff Tweedy takes the producers seat. When you listen to The Invisible Way, you can hear his influence up and down the album. It starts slow and mellow, and as you listen to the album it builds with each track, reaching its crescendo before calmly fading out into nothing.

Opening with a take on substance abuse from a pee cup’s point of view, “Plastic Cup” draws the listener in with sonically pleasing acoustic guitars and Sparhawk’s vocals. The song possesses a Radiohead aesthetic. Anchoring the album are the tunes “Clarence White,” “Amethyst,” and “To Our Knees” — these three songs offer the perfect cross section of Low’s music. Two other tracks stand out: “Holy Ghost” is a beautiful song about believing in a higher power that utilizes Parker’s soothing voice paired with acoustic guitar and minimal piano. I could listen to this track over and over again. Then there is “Own My Own,” an example of successful cross-pollination of sonic parts. Beginning as a jaunty little tune focused around Sparhawk’s and Parker’s vocals, all hell suddenly breaks loose as it transforms into a song reminiscent of Neil Young & Crazy Horse.

The Invisible Way is not an album that you are going to instantly fall in love with. Listeners will have to put in their due diligence and ingest each tune, each vocal, and each melody. Pay close attention to the lyrics, because Low’s way with words is what makes this album worthwhile. From the first strum of the guitar, to the final fading hum, the latest addition to Low’s catalog contains some of their best songwriting, and should find its way among several of the end of year “best of” lists.

(Sub Pop Records, 2013 4th Ave. #300, Seattle, WA 98121)