Each time I see an album given glowing reviews by the press, I can't help but wonder whether it will prove to be a future classic or get forgotten after a decade or two. Lambchop's Nixon got great reviews when it was released, and was even awarded the Album Of The Year 2000 title by Uncut Magazine, prompting me to buy it at the time. I've since sometimes used it as background music, but given it little attention otherwise. So when my random album selection method picked it for review in this blog, I was curious to see whether, 20 years after its release, I'd recognize it as a classic album. Seeing that Lambchop come from Nashville Tennessee, one expects to hear some country influences in their music. It's in there somewhere, but don't expect the familiar country twang: the band's sound initially was understated indie folk, augmented with judicious string and brass arrangements that made them sound like a cross between The Cowboy Junkies and Tindersticks. Singer/songwriter Kurt Wagner remains the focal point for Lambchop, which by this time had grown into a 13-member band, not counting session musicians. Despite that fact, the music is always breezy, never busy. Wagner himself employs two different singing styles: One is a sing-talking voice that reminds me of Leonard Cohen, packing similar warmth but without Cohen's gravitas. The other is a surprising falsetto that he seems to have copied from Prince, and probably uses here a bit too liberally - most notably in tracks "You Masculine You" and "What Else Could It Be?" - both fine songs, despite the unconvincing, pseudo-black, falsetto. "Grumpus" is another mid-tempo funky piece. The arrangements here are reminiscent of the smooth soul of Barry White and Isaac Hayes (I'm talking Hayes, as in his version of "Walk On By", not "Shaft"), but apparently since he can't emulate their rich baritone, he tries for Prince's high register. The result isn't sensual as in the case of the aforementioned black artists, but it is quite warm and pleasant, at least to my ears. The tempo is generally pretty slow, with two exceptions: lead single "Up with People" is rather upbeat, with the handclaps and choir giving it a gospel colour. Closer "The Butcher Boy" is also fast, with relatively louder drums and a more abrasive, experimental guitar sound. Penultimate track "The Petrified Florist" may differ in its lethargic pace and sparse arrangements, but also makes for a relatively "difficult" listening. Their placement at the end of the disc is probably meant to undermine the comfortable feeling created by the previous smooth easy listening sounds, and to remind you you're still listening to an "underground" artist - in case you weren't listening to the lyrics, which is a twisted, David Lynch-like, take on American suburban life. In interviews, Wagner trolled reporters about Nixon being a concept album about the same-named former U.S. president, but apparently the title was inspired by the album cover, not the other way round. So, is Nixon a classic album after all? I'd say yes - not just because of its quality, but also of the sense that something new is happeing here, that this mix of country, chamber pop, alt-rock, and soul is a bold and successful experiment. Its follow-up Is A Woman is another great step in the same direction - with the funk overtones slightly turned down. Only downside: the lack of any great standalone songs, with the exception of "Up With People". But as a whole... the atmosphere, the arrangements, the musicians' playing, everything about it is top notch!
***** for Grumpus, Up with People
**** for The Old Gold Shoe, Nashville Parent, What Else Could It Be?, The Book I Haven't Read,
*** for You Masculine You, The Distance from Her to There, The Petrified Florist, The Butcher Boy
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