Their sixth album in eight years finds Lambchop finding ever more intricate tapestries in their luxuriously unfolding music. With Is A Woman, the band reached for and has achieved a new level of intimacy.
Love and beauty are the substance of both the songs and the sound. Kurt Wagner’s vocals exude confidence with such subtle passion that they creep up on you, revealing more with every listen. And that is exactly what happens with the music: Lambchop’s unassuming volume allows them to hide musical complexities behind a mask of casual simplicity.
There are wonderfully rich juxtapositions, as quiet horns and occasional strings blend with steel guitar and massed guitars, but Lambchop never sounds any louder than a small combo (and this is particularly notable, as there are over a dozen members in the troupe). Most of the songs here are based around a foundation of the piano. A core of eight or nine members recorded the basics live in the studio, with other layers added later. The arrangements throughout are in service to the songs; every small movement matters, and the separate songs intermingle into a full album experience.
Lambchop are truly an orchestral combo, without being anything like a standard orchestra. Presented at such a compellingly quiet volume, it’s a sound no louder than a light wind through a tobacco barn. Their moody countrypolitan strains combine with rural-infused and relaxed urban soul, creating a sound that’s at once traditional and utterly modern.
