Lambchop - Is A Woman
(Merge)
Lambchop exists in a position all their own. Boasting a band lineup that can sometimes approach twenty members and a sound that is distinctly their own, they are able to span a number of distinct sounds and genres. Is A Woman pares the band's traditional sound down and focuses tightly on a collection of light and open guitar sounds, piano and drums. Gone are the brass and strings and left in their place is a slow, calm record that sounds just like what you would want to hear in a smoky Southern bar.
On both 1998's What Another Man Spills and 2000's breakout Nixon, listeners are treated to melodies created by multiple guitars (acoustic, electric, pedal steel), trumpet, trombone, saxophone, and the chiming sounds of strung-up socket wrenches. Musically the songs are lush, very full sonically, and unlike just about anything else out there. Their self-proclaimed title as "Nashville's most fucked-up country band" couldn't be a more apt description of what Lambchop is trying to do. While a number of the instruments that have helped define the band's sound are not present on Is A Woman, Kurt Wagner's wit and poignant songwriting abound. Populating his songs with the traditional cast of misfits, emotionally challenged, and dejected, Wagner has an innate knack of making these seemingly tragic characters into something far more lovable.
The first three songs form the strongest series on the record. The album opens with "The Daily Growl," and within a minute it is obvious that this album is going to take a slower tone. A calming pace is set from the beginning and before too long Wagner comes in. The vocals are calm and create a perfect accompaniment for the jazz-club sounds of the band, a calm that extends as far as the brushed drums. This flows perfectly into "The New Cobweb Summer" and then "My Blue Wave," both of which carry the tone forward with ease. "My Blue Wave" is one of the album's standout tracks, presenting a drawn-out story of loss, dejection, and a sad old dog. The sum of these parts is flawless. From this point, the album largely takes and runs within the framework that the album started with.
"D. Scott Parsley" comes the closest to matching the up-tempo and brass-filled sounds of Nixon. Despite having the liveliest sounds on the whole record, the track also provides some of the most dour and downtrodden lyrics. Such lines as, "This won't change the lonely life you see," and "Maybe I can suck enough for two," sound down and out. However, presented with Wagner's smokey and silky delivery, these tales sound redeeming, not depressing.
Is A Woman is an intense album, but it is not exactly the band's best. The lulling speed and gentleness of the music lends itself well to falling into background at times, a quality that sometimes needs active listener involvement to remain completely into the album. All of this said, this is a record that will probably grow on the listener over time. While it is lacking the obvious and upfront sound that has characterized the band's previous output, there is still a lot of really good stuff going on. Placing the focus solely on Kurt Wagner's vocals, acoustic guitar, and piano, Is A Woman presents a tight portrait of a band that is comfortable with their current place in music, as well as the direction in which they are headed.
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