lambs - lambs

Lambs

Lambs
self-released; 2013

3.9 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

LAMBS apparently started out as a post-rock collective, but on their upcoming self-titled album they sound pretty far removed from their humble beginnings. On this exceptional album they now have a sound that tips the hat to some of the 1970’s garage bands (mix in the occasional psychedelica aspects)  like T.Rex and also sometimes you get a sense of the underrated Red Crayola (if you haven’t heard of them check them out). LAMBS aligns with some other contemporaries such as The Men and Ty Segall Band who have embraced their forefather’s sound and breathe new life into it. 

LAMBS capture the right energy and write good songs that make the music excel. Guitars are gritty and distorted while the bass tone is similar to that of John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin. The drums are open and big and the vocals sound warm and pleasant with 2nd and 3rd order harmonics. My guess is the album was recorded to tape or I need to reassess the quality of plugins these days. The album is short, lasting a little over 30 minutes but it has plenty of girth for you to sink your teeth into in that time. The songs don’t overstay their welcome for the most part, just rock - no gimmicks, no computer - these guys seem to be perfectly content rocking out live in a room.

The first song “Freak Flag” starts thing off on the right foot with a cool guitar riff and drums before the band explodes. The noise quickly subsides as the guitars are treated with some reverb to leave some room for the singers’ vocals. A song that exudes sex appeal in the way Jim Morrison did in the 60’s will be sure to make women swoon when these guys play live. There is also a badass guitar solo that I am always a sucker for at the end of the song. “Bigger Than Me” felt a bit more pop-oriented and had a tinge of a 1950’s feel while the high energy “Let’s Go Somewhere We Can Be Alone” trudges forward displaying the band’s ability to sound upbeat. Arguably my favorite on the album was “Mister Mystic” which starts off bursting with the band in full force. Some amazing lead work as well as stellar bass skills really brings this track home. That being said the vocals and drum work excelled on this song as well. I loved the drum and bass work on “The Lobby” which displayed how essential the rhythm section is to a great band. The band chose to close the album with “Until the Morning Comes” which was one of the least rocking songs on the album but rather sounded like a 1950’s pop song. There is nothing bad I can say about this album. LAMBS have produced a great sounding record that you can put in your 1970’s playlist on your IPhone and have no idea that they are making music in the year 2013.

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