Wednesday 8 July 2015

Review - Lady Lamb - After



Lady Lamb – After (BB Island)

CD / DL

Out Now

8.5 / 10


American Indie folk singer songwriter releases her second album.

This is how 80s Indie was meant to sound.  That’s not a criticism of the genre, nor one of Aly Spaltro (aka Lady Lamb) the American performer who has just released a lovely collection of twelve jangly guitar led ditty’s that are both compelling and sometimes slightly strange.

Hidden inside a positively awful album sleeve that will do nothing to attract any newcomers to the music of Aly are songs of UFOs, plane crashes and existence in general.  The young artist has a voice that is more than capable of belting out a fierce performance if ever there was one, and songs to accompany which after a couple of listens become as catchy as the latest bout of man flu.

Produced with Nadim Issa, who was also present during her 2013 debut Ripley Pine, everything has a raw live feel that has been captured brilliantly.  Songs rise from guitar only accompaniments to ferocious cavalcades of sound in very little time at all. Take album opener Vena Cava which lulls the listener into a false sense before breaking free from its shackles, or Violet Clementine with its horn section close.

Dear Arkansas Daughter is a rip-roarer of a track with raw guitars which takes few prisoners before a delightful calming mid-piece where batteries are recharged for a further explosion.  Sometimes Spaltro’s words are lost in the mix, which is a shame as they are clearly heartfelt from the ones that are decipherable, but it some ways that just makes way for the feel of the album to shine through.

It is an album that contains passion and power, and one that is jam-packed with aggression and emotion.  Given some decent exposure there’s no reason why the Lady couldn’t develop a following in the UK from the same folks that adore the likes of PJ Harvey for instance, as there are many similarities.

It’s not all noise for noise’s sake either, there are plenty of well-constructed songs contained herein.  Milk Duds is probably as commercial as it gets, it’s catchy but not in a throwaway sense and is one of many highlights.

Ten takes a breather from the raucousness with a flick through her Mothers diary to reveal recollections of her loved ones, and Batter sees Spaltro die in a plane crash.  Great stuff.




Links
BB Island website
Lady Lamb website
Lady Lamb on Twitter
Lady Lamb on Facebook


Published on Louder Than War 1/07/15 - here



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