I’ll be the first to admit that Lambchop is not always an easy band to like. Frontman Kurt Wagner has been working with a rotating cast of players for the past fifteen years. While Wagner first emerged in the mid-90s as part of Nashville’s alt-country scene, he has incorporated elements of post-rock, soul, and lounge music into the mix. His vocals are full of odd ticks and his tracks are often backed by old-fashioned, almost syrupy, strings. Wagner is either admirable or maddeningly stubborn in his refusal to conform to expectations associated with the words “alt-“or “indie.” I’ve admittedly jumped on the Lambchop bandwagon rather late, since I haven’t really been familiar with the artist’s work until the past few months. The more I listen to new release Mr. M, though, the more I think it’s a mature, beautiful work of art, one that is significant outside of the context of the band’s varied oeuvre.
Wagner writes about the travails and pleasures of everyday life in a way that defamiliarizes the ordinary. “If Not I’ll Just Die” is seemingly about an awkward, tedious extended family holiday gathering; “2B2” is about the challenges of long-distance relationships. Yet, Wagner finds a way to make these ordinary subjects seem extraordinary through his poetic language. A sunset over a little country church is referred to as feeling “a lot like Little Jimmy Dickens.” The wine “tasted like sunshine in the basement.” The sky “opened up like candy.” As for the music, well, let’s just say nobody is rocking out to this record. It’s definitely the kind of thing you listen to on a quiet, dark morning or a moment of personal contemplation. At the right time, though, it sounds like one of this year’s greatest musical achievements so far.
Listen on Spotify:
http://open.spotify.com/album/5jIMNS1NP5sFkagCXvFiak
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