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On Dec. 17, the band Low, fronted by Alan Sparhawk, performed in Salt Lake City.

On Jan. 11, the band Retribution Gospel Choir, fronted by the same Alan Sparhawk, will perform in Salt Lake City.

The raw, visceral rock of Retribution Gospel Choir sounds much different from the minimalist approach espoused by Low, but Sparhawk doesn't see one as the antithesis of another. "It's the same voice," he said in an interview. "I'm the same guy in both bands."

Whether in Low or Retribution Gospel Choir, Sparhawk has gained a near-rabid following of Utah fans, not least because of that voice. It also helps that Sparhawk always includes Utah on his bands' tours, predicated by his upbringing in Provo and Springville for the first nine years of his life."I have friends with a lot of people in Salt Lake," he said. "I get a kick out of playing for the Mormons."

Sparhawk doesn't intend his Mormon remark to be snide, unlike many musicians who, with limited knowledge of the Beehive State, think the state contains only Mormons and sagebrush.

Sparhawk was raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and attended Brigham Young University for a year. The father of two, who lives in Duluth, Minn., is still a devout member. He met his wife, Mimi Parker, when she was in his fourth-grade class, and they started dating in high school. She ended up converting to the LDS Church, and they reside in the birthplace of another spiritually minded musician, Bob Dylan.

The Sparhawks began Low in 1994 as a reaction to the loud grunge movement that had enveloped the nation's attention. The band's downbeat melodies, glacial tempos and quiet, minimalist arrangements confounded audiences' expectations. "It was a way to see how little sound we could get away with," he said.

But then a funny thing happened.

The band began attracting fans, fans who would show their loyalty by sitting on the floor during Low shows. This was music to be absorbed, in a cerebral way.

After 13 years of Low, Sparhawk wanted "a different way to be creative" and enlisted former Low bassist Matt Livingston in a new band, the Retribution Gospel Choir.

The choir now includes Sparhawk, Low bassist Steve Garrington and drummer Eric Pollard, but the approach to creating charged rock music is the same as it is for Low. "I always feel like I'm working with limitations, with my approach to Low," he said. "Every band has its limits, depending on who you have."

But that doesn't mean Sparhawk believes he is limited by limitations. Instead, he believes the flip is true. "It can actually be freeing," he said. "Having fewer options can be a way to be creative. Pushing against parameters is where it gets interesting."

As far as lyrics go, Sparhawk isn't trying to make either Low or Retribution Gospel Choir a so-called "Christian" band that appeals to only a niche audience. But he also doesn't believe in limiting who he is as man of God. "I'm not big on stealing ideas from Isaiah," he said. "What I write is very unintentional. [But] those [religious] themes come up. It it's in my brain, my psyche, my language."

He isn't worried that he could lose a Utah audience with that voice, whether he's performing with Low or Retribution Gospel Choir. "This crowd is going to jive with what I'm saying," he said.

When • Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 9 p.m.Where • Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, Salt Lake CityTickets • $10 at SmithsTix and 24TixAlso on the bill • Peter Wolf Crier