Aly Spaltro's an introvert, so there was little chatter with the audience last night, despite the intimate venue, and at times her eyes were closed as she lost herself in the music. Yet, she also looked into the crowd, and as Lady Lamb, the 25 year old from Maine has astonishing impact. I've been a fan of her studio work since discovering 2013's Ripely Pine, but I was taken aback by the power of her live performance. The writing is often dense, the songs extended, and the atmosphere intense, but Lady Lamb has a directness and honesty that is disarming. She released her first home made CD in 2007, and her experience was evident in the note perfect performance. Like Waxahatchee, she's unpretentious, but the power of Aly's voice belies her stature, and grungy guitar interludes set up a tension with the more intimate moments.
Aly's a talented multi-instrumentalist, tracking guitars, bass, banjos and keys in the studio for After, whilst a friend played drums. On tour though, Lady Lamb's a trio, with a two piece rhythm section, and whilst I occasionally missed the luxury of horns and strings, the spirit of the album was skilfully captured. In fact, at times her band mates Alex and Amos seemed dispensable: the two mid set solo songs were the set's emotional heart. I was particularly moved by Sunday Shoes, despite the knowledge that the tribute to a sister who passed away is fictional, The close, when she sings that after death 'you will become your most favourite colour' is so beautiful. Another arresting line, in the more catchy, extrovert Billions of Eyes, 'my great grandmothers' sister was deemed a saint', is in fact true, and reflects Aly's Italian Catholic heritage.
Religion is a recurring theme in the lyrics, reflecting her childhood, and whilst now sceptical, Aly explained in an interview: 'I’m intrigued by our need as humans to have hope in something and have faith in something. That sort of yearning for answer and yearning for love that is in religion'. Her use of imagery, whether from The Bible or the result of thoughts she writes when half asleep is powerful; indeed the moniker Lady Lamb came to her in a dream. Aly's mentioned Neutral Milk Hotel as an influence, which sometimes manifests itself in the psychedelic aspects to the words, the eclectic instrumentation, and more generally in a most welcome quirkiness. Her writing has real depth, rewarding repeated listening; I was grateful for her clear enunciation which allows appreciation of the poetry, and above all that she has the confidence to be herself.
The title After references a break-up, and Milk Duds is poignant, yet my memory of the gig is one of energy and joy. This song was preceded by two up-tempo songs from After: Billions of Eyes and Dear Arkansas Daughter, which both illustrate the development of melodic hooks in her writing (though I missed the catchy Penny Licks, which she performed in London). Aly's sensitivity for light and shade, and the varying of tempo and instrumentation made for a nuanced set. The combination of the dreamy, ethereal elements, and explosions of raw emotion were thrillingly unpredictable. I could have listened to such a ferocious, emotional live performance for far longer than an hour, but at least I now have the two studio albums on repeat. Lady Lamb's made it onto my 'not to be missed' list.
Set List
- You Are The Apple
- Billions of Eyes
- Dear Arkansas Daughter
- Milk Duds
- Sunday Shoes (acoustic)
- The Nothing Part II (acoustic)
- Bird Balloons
- Aubergine
- Batter
- Spat Out Spit
- Crane Your Neck
- Ten
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