Lady Lamb
After
Reviewed by: Brian Roser
The first song on this album is something I would classify as folk rock. Not in the sense that it is folksy rock and roll, but parts are straight folk and then parts are hard rock. Basically it sounds like Arlo Guthrie and Ozzy Osbourne got together and said “Hey, let’s record a song together; you do the verses and I’ll do the chorus.” The only thing stranger than doing a track this way is the fact that it actually works really well. I did hear some echos back to the Indigo Girls in “Heretic”, which is not bad company to be in. There is a lot of blood imagery, however, and the song Sunday Shoes is downright creepy. I wonder if this comes from being born in the same state as Stephen King.
The singer Aly Spaltro was born in Maine, while her alter ego Lady Lamb was born in the basement of a DVD rental store. While working there, she would wait until after closing and then teach herself the guitar and the bass and the banjo. All of these make an appearance on the album as well as some strings, horns and I’m pretty sure there was also a tambourine in there somewhere. She did some amateur recordings herself before moving to New York where she started recording in a studio.
After is a great album. It experiments with sound, style and rhythm, but in a way that blends together into a cohesive whole. The music and vocals are excellent and the lyrics range from intimate to downright savage. Aly Spaltro has come a long way from training in the basement and is now ready for her day in the sun.
Rating: Bad-Ass
