Mojave 3 – Ask Me Tomorrow 8.1

Oh yes, the mellow relaxation of Mojave 3. After Slowdive took a plunge into the non-existence, some of the members decided to move towards a new kind of sound, based more off of song craft than pure mood. Having said that, don’t expect up-tempo pop music. Rather, it continues in the vein of Slowdive, with blissful slow moving songs.

Probably the biggest shocker is the move towards country on here. The twangs beginning “Love Songs on the Radio” set the pace for what the rest of the album will bring up: quiet guitars, hushed percussion, and singing from far away. Others elements are used sparingly like piano, cello, and tasteful classical adornments. “Mercy” is the loudest song on here, ending the 42 minutes or so of near-narcoleptic music (I mean this as a compliment).  

4AD did a good thing signing them. They don’t release much (5 albums in about a decade) but the quality seems to be kept pretty high. Here’s probably their high point, but most of their discography is fairly solid.

Lambchop – How I Quit Smoking 8.4

Nashville is a place that usually gets associated with country music. Sure, they have perhaps more than their fair share of country musicians, but this tends to overlook the other great (and often better) bands that reside in the same area code. Lambchop are one such band.

Lead by Kurt Wagner (he’s the singer), they do whatever they want. If they want to be sincere, they will. If they choose to be silly, they can do that as well. 

The album starts off quietly. You barely notice that they have begun. Although the mood changes throughout the album, you still notice the large sound. That’s due to the 16 or so players. Kurt’s idea is that each person contributes just enough, like a chamber pop orchestra.

Hints of country line the album. This is hinted at in the lyrics like receiving a call from the overweight Garth Brooks, who would give him a hundred thousand dollars, just to go “the fuck away” (from “Garf”). Few people can pull off that line with the dry wit needed to make that truly hysterical.

 Unlike most albums, where I can pick up a favorite, it really works well as a whole. It is rare to have an album that encompasses joy, sadness, regret, embarrassment, etc. Pretty much you can listen to this no matter what mood you’re in and get something different from it each time. More country bands could learn from these guys and perhaps take themselves a little less seriously.