One of this writer’s fondest concert memories consists of witnessing a performance by Maine singer/ songwriter Aly Spaltro (aka Lady Lamb the Beekeeper) in an opening slot at the Iron Horse Music Hall in 2011.
On that particular night, Spaltro preceded headliner Sharon Van Etten on the Iron Horse stage and more than earned her time with a blistering set featuring powerhouse vocals, ace guitar work, and songs which displayed an unexpected level of sophistication given the singer’s youthful appearance. Now, just two years later, Spaltro is poised to cash in on her early promise with the release of a full-length album Ripley Pine.
As the first Lady Lamb album to be recorded in a professional studio, the release is an expansion of Spaltro’s early bedroom recordings and demos, and is easily observed as a fully-realized disc created by a defiant, singular artist. In fact, everything listeners hear on the record is Spaltro’s creation – every song, every arrangement. Opening track “Hair To The Ferris Wheel” starts with a gentle guitar progression that lasts for over two minutes before erupting into an indie rock jam complete with a squealing, distorted solo. And elsewhere, previously released tracks like “Bird Balloons” and “Crane Your Neck,” are heard in their definitive incarnations augmented now by drums and backing vocals.
Another highlight from Ripley Pine is the song “The Nothing Part II.” Accompanied by a bizarre music video that features plenty of pie, the tune only grows in mystery as listeners try to make sense of lines like, “Choose to use your heart if even towards the harshest fate / But it may be a swallowed masticated mistaken thing.”
Watch the official video for Lady Lamb the Beekeeper’s song “The Nothing Part II” here:
Some thanks for the finished product also belongs to producer Nadim Issa, who worked with Spaltro for nine months to compile Ripley Pine, but it’s still Spaltro’s world. She brings heart to raw, unhinged soul. Listeners get ready.
For more information on Lady Lamb the Beekeeper of to see future tour dates please visit http://www.ladylambthebeekeeper.com/.
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