Retribution Gospel Choir: 2

Label: Sub Pop

Even though Low has allowed volume and heft onto its records, it’s with Retribution Gospel Choir that singer-guitarist Alan Sparhawk really opens up and rocks. For this band’s second album (and first for longtime Low home Sub Pop), Sparhawk’s trio — Eric Pollard remains in the drum chair and there’s a new bassist by the name of Garrington — keeps things simple and straightforward, from album title through to the extraordinarily satisfying but very basic riffs. You can tell Sparhawk had been wanting to play this stuff for years, and credit to him for not feeling like he had to gussy up his rawk for a public that had been used to something very different and specific from him. How meat-and-taters is 2? Check these song titles: “Workin’ Hard,” “White Wolf,” “Poor Man’s Daughter.” Things do get hairy on the partly lo-fi “Something’s Going to Break” and the epic-length “Electric Guitar,” but overall, this is nothing more (and definitely nothing less) than a great rock record, free of irony and jammed with riffs. (M.L. Thrope)