Lady Lamb the Beekeeper – Billions of Eyes
SoundCloud
Despite pummelling her craft into shape since 2007, I first caught a glimpse of the hurricane that is Lady Lamb The Beekeeper just two years ago. Lady Lamb (real name Aly Spaltro) had been peddling home recordings on cassette until her studio debut, Ripley Pine, hit the shelves in 2013. Many (myself included) saw this as an incredible introduction to what she was capable of recording and eagerly awaited more. Now, with the follow up, After, firmly slotted into her discography, the spiky songstress has shown those in the know that her debut was no flash in the pan and given those still unacquainted a wonderful introduction to her natural ability.
Although musically Spaltro’s style is a familiar gumbo of rock, with a dash of blues and a pinch of folksy undertones, it’s not so much what she’s using here that impresses, but what she does with her ingredients. Ripely Pine dazzled because of how fluid the movement was — because it boasted numerous interchanging yet effortlessly transferable sections. After follows firmly in these footsteps and continues to show that Spaltro truly is a seasoned pro when it comes to the art of ebb and flow. Songs can go from gentile and tender to amped and cutting with a few precision moves and, though the audible blueprints for this record may not be as unfurling or as wiry as those on her previous effort, After still places emphasis and care into the journey.
While the technical efficiency is impressive, there’s more to what makes Lady Lamb and her latest effort such a compelling listen — she injects a great deal of warmth, care and comfort into her compositions. Whether in the form of sweet, sweeping and subtle melodies, family recollections, personal reflections or idiosyncrasies, there’s a huge depth of character and personality flowing throughout the album. Spaltro isn’t afraid to pour numerous little parts of herself into her work, and that kind of earnest expression combined with prickly, shuffling compositions makes both her and her output immensely explosive and endearing.
