I've only listened to the first couple tracks, but from what I've heard so far, the new Lambchop album,
Is A Woman, sounds far more remeniscent of
Nixon than all the early reviews suggested. I read that the lush orchestration of
Nixon had been replaced with quiet, understated piano, and I suppose I just assumed that that would result in the new songs sounding more spacious and relaxed than before. Surprisingly, at least in the first couple songs, the backdrop for Kurt Wagner's ramblings remain as busy as ever. Well, maybe
busy isn't the right word, as it doesn't properly convey how calm this music sounds, but there's definitely a lot more activity than I had expected. It'll take a few more listens to identify exactly what I'm talking about. For what it's worth, I can say that the neat swirling noises from
Nixon make a reappearance here.
The important point is that the songs have maintained that comfortable Lambchop feel, despite the change in instrumentation. Like much of Lambchop's work, the different components of the music seem to gently slip in and out, never begging for the attention of the listener, but just serving to sustain the sound. Vocally, other than the fact that the goofy falsetto introduced on the last album seems to have disappeared, Wagner's delivery has essentially remained unchanged. It's still mostly whisper-talk with Wagner, in his own strangely delightful way, stressing certain words and phrases seemingly at random. The lyrics also maintain the same type of stream-of-consciousness feel that Lambchop is notorious for.
I must say that what I've heard of
Is A Woman sounds a bit more intimate than previous work, though I suspect this is probably just due to me paying extra attention because the material is new. I'll have more to say about this after I get a better chance to give the album a proper listen.
