Lambchop

Kurt Wagner seems to find a theme for each of Lambchop's albums. Quiet but upbeat guitars ground many of the songs on OH (ohio) and give them a tentatively happy feeling. That warm glow hits such standout tracks such as "I'm Thinking of a Number," "I Believe in You" and the pop-rocker "Sharing a Gibson With Martin Luther King Jr." These tunes are as oddly uplifting as "Please Rise," which explores multiple uses of the word "stand." No matter his mood, Wagner's mission really is a positive one. Forget what trends or genres magazines cite -- Lambchop are truly uncategorizable.

For more than a decade, Lambchop has made some of the most sublime and eclectic albums
in popular music — composites of offbeat country, folk, soul and chamber pop, all colored
by Kurt Wagner's whispered baritone and literate, impressionistic lyrics. OH (Ohio) finds
the group's folkier tendencies on parade in songs like opener "Ohio," in which Wagner's
odd (and very Southern) phrasing comes off like Willie Nelson covering Burt Bac... More >