Lamb Faucet – Lamb Faucet
Lamb Faucet, previously known as How The Beatles Cheated Their Success, but mostly not known at all, released his self-titled album on December 28th, 2022. While mostly everyone around the cylindrical Earth were suffering from the natural amnesia that occurs between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, a special selection of individuals’ were privileged with the experience that is Lamb Faucet (2022). Their ears may never be able to hear above 120db again, but it was totally worth it.
No, I won’t write anything about the 41 second opener Velvet Ear. Wheeldriver sounds like something Ween would parody, and it’s done respectfully well. Each section is tight, distinct, and layered with strawberry jam. While the guitars are sublimely distorted, the strained voice loses clarity, as do the muffled drums. None of this matters, though, because the songwriting is sublime. Wallfire’s vocals are top tier and blend impeccably well against its stifled guitars. Soother is one of the strongest tracks on the album. Its composition is both creepy and majestic. The instrumental climax, bolstered by its saxophone, is kino.
The string of songs from Cowcatcher to Cattleprod all sound very similar in songwriting, though their sound designs are at least interesting. Cowpoke is instrumentally strong, but disappointingly short. Gypsy Major features some of the coolest basslines, but easily the lamest sounding drums. Eastern Dynasty is perhaps the only song to truly change the song structures; it stands out for that reason. The solid sound design continues through the solid instrumental filler Velvet Eye and brilliantly twister closer, Scent. More experimentation like these tracks could have solved the mid mid-section of this album. Hell, it may have even excused the abhorrent production.
Speaking of, while Lamb Faucet’s songwriting is brilliant and easily the highlight; the mixing is a headache. The balls-to-the-wall explosive energy works incredibly well, but the mixing works against it. No song better demonstrates this than Hollowcane; a song that alternates between calm schizophrenia and phrenic compulsions. When it goes loud, it loses too much clarity. While some may defend this in lieu of the noise title, its noise is not commendable enough to excuse. The distortion results in unintentional muddiness, which hurts the record. Somehow Shamberlone by De Blimp, which wasn’t even mixed, sounds better.
Really Good
Listen to it here:
https://lampfaucet.bandcamp.com/album/lamb-faucet
Lamb Faucet – Lamb Faucet
