The Lowest Pair has questions. The duo, made up of Kendl Winter and Palmer T. Lee, know that we tend to see duality as a problem. We want life to be linear, working through the dark to finally get to the light. Grief to joy, despair to hope, confusion to claritynot a jangly cycle we cant escape. But through their incandescent folk songs, the Lowest Pair often ask: What if we sit with the mess? What if thats not just more peaceful, but more magical, too? On their 8th album Always As Young As Well Ever Be, the Lowest Pair prove that over the last dozen years together, theyve become some of modern roots musics most mesmerizing, thoughtful purveyors. Produced by Tucker Martine (The Decemberists), the 10-track album puts the duos stark lyricism, string-driven arrangements, and raw compatibility on brilliant display and as a result, Always As Young As Well Ever Be pulses with life. The Lowest Pairs musicianship is another beautiful testament not just to playing that breathes, but playing that listens. Winter, who grew up in Arkansas but has lived in Washington State for the last two decades, and Lee, a Minnesota native, first gained attention as poetic singer-songwriters on banjos. While their family of strings has expanded, their fundamental approach hasnt: Respond to sounds and stories the other is making.
