Lambchop have generally been cited for the divergent take they bring to their Nashville roving grounds. It's never felt like Kurt Wagner and his revolving lineup have yearned to be like Tim and Faith, or have wanted to invoke the spirit of old George Jones with Billy Sherrill in the booth. Wagner may be a born-and-bred Nashvillian, but his soul has always had a river ring, as in Mississippi. Wagner's unhinged blend of rural twang and Midwest soul is born of muddy water—that gentle surface covering a deadly undertow.
Lambchop's latest release The Decline of Country and Civilization Part Ii: The Woodwind Years is the 13-year-old band's second collection of alternative takes, b-sides, and unreleased odds and ends. Unfortunately, much like its 2001 predecessor, Tools In The Dryer, it suffers in comparison to their generally excellent full-length releases. On a good Lambchop album, the focus isn't on the individual songs, but the collective mood their sequencing creates. That's not to say their individual songs can't stand on their own, but a Lambchop listen is about bathing in the overall experience and not the particular moments. Regrettably, Decline's moments don't quite rise to the occasion. "Ovary Eyes" is pretty but not beautiful, while "Playboy, The Shit" runs itself in a circle that ends up nowhere. The best track on the set is the unreleased "Gettysburg Address," an agreeable meanderer that comes closest to Lambchop's accustomed quality.
Compounding the extinction of their familiar build is that many of the songs here also lack the studio veneer that characterize Lambchop as a backwoods Steely Dan. "It's Impossible," as well as alternative versions of songs from Nixon, Thriller, and Is A Woman come unpolished. If you're looking for that ever-evolving refinement you've grown a fondness for, the tape hiss and out-of-whack recording levels can be a bit jarring. While there's nothing awful on Decline, there's nothing especially memorable either. The uninitiated should seek their first Lambchop experience elsewhere, since Decline is a listen only the most faithful completist could love. |