This San Francisco trio excels at something few bands do well: melodic, driving, intermittently heavy rock. The combination looks ideal on paper, but in practice often reduces to formulas and predictable dynamics. Low Red Land, however, escapes cliché by expressing angst without whining and hope without entirely trusting it.
At the Starry Plough (3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley) on Feb. 27. 9 p.m., $9.
