Nixon

Listened to this a couple times. It sounded nice, reminded me of the Bill Cain album from a while back. But nothing that really engaged me.

6/10 - It was pretty relaxing but was also quite repetitive. I think it did a nice job making the atmosphere. I could feel myself sitting around a campfire or on a porch swing listening to someone play this song

Pretty chill. Music was fine

Very samey throughout, not for me.

This could have been dramatically improved with a different singer/singing style. Subdued is one thing but this is a hair above spoken word, which I think is more irritating. Listening to this album by Drugdealer, which occupies a similar soft rock space and in comparison the energy levels are through the roof. Tried to figure out where these guys live in the music ecosystem and it seems they are pretty much outsiders, which is not typical of this list. It also occurred to me last night that the Cave album was from 2019, which means we should be seeing a lot more contemporary shit. Don’t think this, or that, should be in the top 1001 (or however many there are)

I hated this. Maybe the lyrics are interesting (from what other reviews say), but the music is so DOA that setting interesting words to them would be like putting a corpse in a tuxedo. Still dead. The chord changes feel obvious, the rhythms are rote, every melody goes exactly where you'd expect it to go. The horns and backing vocals are nice, but for the most part these arrangements feel like they should be scoring the end of a sitcom where the main character learns a very special lesson. i can't understand what would compel an artist to make something so bland and uninspired.

Was really disinterested at first. The vocals sounded a bit cheesy. The lyrics can be just as bad. But once I got through The Old Gold Shoe, damn, this album kind of takes off into a neat, creative space. Love the omnipresent horns and fun textures (lots of strings), straight ahead drumming with bluesy guitar lines (so much Trem on the guitar tracks). The vocals get screechy and creative on You Masculine You (ironic title I guess?) Up with People was my favorite track. Idk what to really say about it. Its very simple, but yet sounds very distinct. What else could it be was also super pleasant in a 70s R&B way. This wouldve been ideal for a Friday album… shame. Ill be listening to it again this weekend. 3.5 stars and rounding up

Predict I may be going against the grain a bit on this one. Lamb Chop feels like we stayed in the same universe as Nick Cave's poetry-driven orchestral rock, but with a way better outlook on life. I love how hard to pin down this sound is - felt like I was on my toes the entire time. It's country, it's jazz, it's soul, it's lounge music. It's kind of folksy but sophisticated at times, serious but a little goofy too. It's the kind of range that puts Wilco in my top bands list (that's as far as I'll go with that comparison, this doesn't come close to Tweedy lyrically). Up with People and The Book I Haven't Read stand out. I was super curious to see how this project translates to the stage - tight, high energy 14 piece band - has a bit of that bar band vibe of Nathaniel Rateliff or The Hold Steady. Also Wagner is a pretty solid guitarist from what I watched of his Tiny Desk.

This was really interesting - I'm not really sure it knows what it wants to be. Some tracks I was really into the instrumentation but not really the melodies. At times it felt like a light folk record. Then at times it felt like it wanted to be this soul r&b groove. I like all of that - but I don't really think this record had a 'consistent voice'. Not great - but not awful. A fine album to listen to on my commute in!

Soft och skönt.

Plätschert so dahin, viel Streicherbegleitung.

Disco buena ondita.

Ummm not sure what all the fuss was about with this, it's alright but kinda just background noise. Mid 3.

It was interesting album, I enjoyed it. However it's not a style of music I am use too.

I usually hate talk-singing, but it definitely depends on the music that type of "vocals" are paired with. This guy gets away with it. The music is chill and the talk-singing couples decently. But would I revisit any of this? Nah. "Butcher Boy" definitely should not have been the ending track. "Yeah let's put the most anxiety inducing track that seemingly finishes very abruptly at the end of a mostly chill, relaxing album." That made me almost bump the rating down to two.

So much potential ruined by god-awful singing. The jazzy style with strings and horns on top got me going. Then the dude opens his mouth. Who Could It Be could be an incredible track. I was literally laughing at his singing. What a shame.

Subtle

What is Lambchop thinking here? Serious question... is it lounge music, EDM, jazz, yachtrock? I'm not against it, but I am confused. It feels more like background music to a 70's TV show than music someone would self-select.

2 - boring

trash

Boring indie-soul I guess you could call it. I find most songs uninteresting and overwrought. Don't like the way that strings are used...mostly syrupy. Three songs caught my ear; Grumpus, The Petrified Florist and The Butcher Boy. The rest is pretty boring. 2.5 stars

Completely unexceptional.

Generally a pleasant album. I liked the staccato cadence of the first song. In fact, the first song was my favorite song. Everything after felt a bit samey, and I didn’t love the falsetto.

I was quite excited for this. Lambchop are one of them ‘legendary’ bands that I’ve been aware of since a kid but only heard the odd song. They have such a good reputation. But this just largely passed me by. The songs I had heard by them in the past were a bit more out there. Bit stranger. This was just very OK. Quite liked Butcher Boy, the rest was all much a muchness. Decent, nothing else.

Thought the album cover was quite good, looked like AI art way before it's time. Lambchop is a proper pub band level name, but I quite like it on a arty indie band like this. I did not like the music. Reminded me of the newer arctic monkeys albums, strange crooning over elevator muzak. The last song was very Nick Cave which I also did not like. It was fairly unique once you look past the AM comparison so alright for one listen I suppose.

The Distance From Her to There is a stunning song. This is a difficult album to rate - it really jumps around in tone and quality; starts off rather naff, but does improve as time goes on. I think this music is my thing, but only just. Indie Rock with aspirations. I think Editors refined a lot of this kind of sound. The Petrified Florist is also good. I'll be generous - if this was on Spotify, I'd have a few listens of The Distance From Here to There under my belt already.

I had no idea what to expect from this, but don't think it was this..... I really don't know who this is for or what genre it is. It kinda reminded me of Richard Hawley or maybe even Jarvis Cocker at times. Didn't do much for me at all though and won't be back. Not terrible by any means though

I've been meaning to get round to listening to this for years, now I finally have but was a bit underwhelmed. Probably takes a few listens to really get why it's so acclaimed but on first listen not much stood out for me.

Chambers Pop having gentlly arrangended and performed, making the music glide through one ear and out the other, leaving no trace.

Stopped after 3 songs, because I know where it is going... Nowhere. Meandering around and simply boring... Definition of background music. Extremely meh, middle of the road. Well produced, but not a single edge... Already forgotten after T-5 minutes...

Boring Album and just another album that makes you question how many more, better and interesting albums got maybe left out from this list.

boring british sludge like too much stuff on here

Groupe inconnu. Le premier morceau est ... long, trop long, sans aucune variation digne d’intérêt. La partie rythmique est aussi très monotone, sur un morceau de plus de 6 mn c'est très ennuyeux. Le second morceau est un tout petit plus dynamique et travaillé côté rythmique, et est plus court. Le chant est surprenant, avec une vois de fausset de temps en temps. Dans le 3eme morceau cette voix est utilisée tout le temps ; ce qui était surprenant devient carrément désagréable. A ce stade je ne suis pas sur d'aller au bout ... le 1/5 guette. Le fausset disparait sur les 3 morceaux qui suivent, mais pas l'ennui. Et malheureusement revient sur "What Else Could It Be?", horreur vocale complète. Et les morceau suivant repart en fausset, j'ai arrêté au milieu. => le 1/5 est confirmé.

Best thing about this album is it ran the whole duration of my commute home. Felt it was a bit insipid.

Good production, good arrangements, not so good songs, and a little boring, but enough variety to deserve 3 stars

I'm sure the people behind this thought they had created an avant garde masterpiece but , to me , it's just a mishmash of random sounds. The singer tries numerous styles over the album and doesn't do any of them well. Some folk probably love this but not me.

Easy enough listen but nothing stood out. Did not care for the vocal style either.

Bit dull. 6music/Jools Holland bait

I really like Lambchop - they have so many good songs, but each album I've listened to has to have something *quirky* on it and it tarnishes the overall package. But still, when they are on, it's great. Some glimpses of that here. But what the fuck were those 2 falsetto songs? Probably the worst tracks I have heard on this whole voyage, and I am approaching 750 albums, including 2 pre-disco BeeGees albums. No, the BeeGees were worse. But God damn you, Lambchop, for making me think twice about it.

Did not need to listen to this before I died, it's boring and generic. Just another entry that adds nothing to the musical repertoire. 2*

Cool, lofi, and unique.

Gotta say… i dug this. Not all the way something is missing but i like it

Dios mio, no pude aburrirme más! Nota: 1.8

Knew up with people

This list is making me fucking tired, i can think of tens of albums that would have deserved a spot instead of this one

Didn’t like it’s one at all on the first listen but it grew on me with a second listen. Start and end were quite good though it did still dip in the middle.

Not really sure what it is about this album that I like but I do. Maybe it’s another one of those underdogs that I latch onto? The production is tight and the vocals generally fit the music, but it fails to kick on.

It’s hard to believe you can make something so clearly well thought through and well produced that’s quite so utterly tedious. Seriously, who wants to listen to talk singing easy listening ripped off from slightly different 70s genres. Rescued from a 1* by the last 2 songs which really don’t fit on the album at all but we’re very welcome.

A solid, interesting, varied, rock album.

A turn of the century chamber pop album that seems to have slipped out of the mainstream consciousness - and for good reason it seems. It's good, yes, but I don't see how this was so praised upon its' release.

Quite pretty but ultimately forgettable chamber pop album. I actually liked a few of the songs, but even if I listened to this album 10 times, I probably wouldn’t immediately guess “Lambchop” if someone put on a random song from it.

Enjoyable, would return to learn more about lambchop and their other albums

There’s a rustic indie pop sound in the first half of the album but then it transitioned into a chamber pop type of music. The first half was stronger and would be nice music to chill to.

Excellent

Enjoyable 3/5

Entspannter wholesome Country-Rock

Not a terrible listen...just pretty boring.

Some nice songs like Nashville Parents but for the rest I'd say its just background music. Nothing really to remember here

I can categorically say that this was an album that had songs on it....and that's about it as it was so forgettable

Interesting sound. Listened to a few tracks but not the whole album. Will come back later to finish

Not a fan.

All over the place genre wise def interesting with some decent tunes. 3.5

9/10 An absolute delight of a surprise. Loved this. Chamber pop country soul, understated and awesome. Lovely production, lots of brass and strings. Best: Up With People

Not what I expected. Very soothing and pleasant. Muzak vibes. The lyrics are... interesting. 4/5

++: Up with People, The Butcher Boy +: The Old Gold Shoe, What Else Could It Be?, The Petrified Florist +-: Grumpus, You Masculine You, Nashville Parent, The Distance from Her to There -: The Book I Haven't Read 5,2/10

dull

Smooth, gentle (chamber?) pop, with a little southern lean (slide steel)

nick cave série b canta em cima do wilco serie b

olha. vou dar um 2 mas honestamente é mais um "não é a minha praia" do que um "eu não gostei" (cada vez mais ficando contra a obrigação de dar nota 1-5 ou falar que não ouviu)

Not sure but I listened to it all

Not really my thing. Seems to lack any guys tbh

it's alright but i don't think i could see myself ever relistening to it.

This whole album can be summed up in one word, and that is BORING. Holy crap was it dull as hell. When the first track hit, I almost hit stop, but decided to give it a chance. At some point, a few tracks in the middle kind of got a groove going. Sadly it didn’t last long enough, and with around 4 songs left, I just hit stop and moved on. Seriously stupified how stuff like this makes this list.

romcom zene, a háttérben elmegy de nem hiszem hogy gyakran beraknám magamtól, vannak azért jobb trackek

Kedvenc/Favourite: Up with People Volt egy fura, jólesően szomorkás hangulata, ami eléggé tetszett. A legtöbb szám sajna elég hasonló, de van pár kiemelkedően jó közte. Nekem kicsit az az érzésem, hogy annyira azért nem jó ez a hangzás, hogy ennyi ilyen hosszú számot érdemeljen, de el tudom képzelni, hogy van, aki nagyon szereti. It had a strange, comfortingly sad vibe, which I quite liked. Most of the songs are unfortunately quite similar, but there are some outstandingly good ones in there. I kind of get the feeling that this soundscape isn't quite good enough to justify so many long songs, but I can imagine that some people really enjoy it.

I want to like it. I'm not sure about the falsetto and the general tweeness of the music. Not terrible.

Lambchop could easily be someone's favorite niche band. The twists and turns in their back catalogue providing enough interesting nooks and crannies to explore —  songs, albums and eras in the oeuvre to debate and draw lines of distinction across...lyrics to plumb the depths of — that sort of thing. Maybe they edge out Giant Sand for one person or Mercury Rev for another. Or, maybe the listener of Nixon just can't seem to latch on to them and the album just sort of slides by, remaining a little too cloaked in the corners, a bit angled in ungraspable ways...or maybe a bit meh in their mind. Turning this record over and over I can't say which it is for me today.

I'm confused. Wikipedia says this is the fifth studio album by American rock band Lambchop, but says the music genre as Alternative Country / Chamber Pop / Countrypolitan / Soul - so not a rock band then! Boring, depressing, and so laid back it's in a coma.

3 stars

This is alright.

meh with some eyyyyy

Interesting and chill.

3 stars for the great voice. 2 stars for the album. I couldn't get into it. Some songs were ok, the others just felt sad and not like there was much variety. Probably wouldn't listen to Lambchop again.

This was hovering at a 2 but then that falsetto came in and good God whoever thought this album was worth listening to needs to rethink their life choices

chamber pop and alt-country are genres i love on their own and they sound amazing when they’re combined here

I like the general alt-folk/rock sound. Reminds me of Wilco. The only song I really got into is the intro track: "The Old Gold Shoe". I semi got into "The Distance From Her To There" but I don't love the singer going falsetto there. In the rest of the songs I liked the orchestration (some slide guitar, some horns, etc) but the songs themselves were so so.

Why?

Recognized Kurt Wagner's distinctive voice from 'What New York Couple's Fight About' by Morcheeba (better band and album), and was then horrified how often he seemed to think he should sing in a falsetto instead. What in the ever-loving-nonsense that was all about, I don't even know because it's not like the music gave Prince or Justin Timberlake vibes. So misplaced. & outright bad. Drug this forgettable album from a passable 3 down to a skip-worthy 2.

the first song was super cool but then the rest of the album didn’t live up to it. a lot of the meandering sameness and he sometimes sung in this terrible falsetto for whole songs which was a very bad choice.

What is this? Weird.

Gear: Hifiman Arya Artwork: 🍂🏡🏞️ Production: 🧈😊👌 Music: 🎻💭🤷 Rating: 🍂🍂/5

Niewiele mi się w tym albumie podobało. Nudny, grubociosany, jakiś taki prosty i niewymagający, a do tego nużący. Falset mnie męczył, melodie nie rajcowały. Zapomnę o nim w kilka dni. 3/10

Not very good and quite boring.

Slow, jazzy and kind of interesting...

Never heard it before, nice one to go running at night! Good solid, nice voice!

Light 6 to strong 7, need to listen a bit more for it to click. I like the sound, but it's not very interesting.

Not bad, but nothing stood out

I’m glad I listened to this in the morning otherwise I wouldn’t of stayed awake past the first track! Utterly pointless, goes nowhere, does nothing to engage, what a load of boring old tosh!

Love this, the “How I Met Cat Power” versions are great too

Sort of a bummer because I think the music on this album is fucking great, but I find his singing underwhelming and borderline annoying.

I honestly kind of liked it until those weird high notes hit.

This one was up and down for me. Some were really pretty, relaxing and chill while others tried but the pieces didn't all come together. Sometimes that might have been related to the fact that the album was more an art piece then radio music. I tried to refocus my lenses on how I interpreted and enjoyed the music. I can pick out the reasons for some of the parts I enjoyed less (Falsetto in You Masculine You) and appreciate the artistic value. The music was very aethereal against some darker themes, which made for some hauntingly beautiful melodies. Overall it wasn't my thing, but there were some nice moments and I can appreciate the value it brings to the musical world.

Most of this album is a smooth dreamy groove with washy country slide guitars and happy vibes with occasional horns to brighten things up. It's a good album to get high and think about life to. The lyrics are poetically interesting and give me more of a folk artist feel. Overall it's a little slow for my speed. What Else Could it Be is a little more up beat but I'm not a big fan of his falsetto singing. Especially on The Distance from Her to There (sorry he sounds like Miss Piggy). I like that they change up the mood with the last two songs but it's kind of too little too late because it just makes them feel tacked on and doesn't really go with the vibe of the rest of the album.

They sound like a far less dynamic version of Mercury Rev, a band from the same time period. This is pleasant, sunny day music to chill to on a long leisurely drive, or to sit with a drink in the park on a warm quiet evening. Nothing really stands out except for the chill vibes. I’m ok with that. I’ll note as well that with this project, I’m noticing that Apple Music only offers the extended reissue versions of many albums. I’m not interested in anything further than the original album for a band I’m not familiar with so I won’t be listening to extras unless I fall in love with an album. This album is originally 49 minutes, but the reissue puts it at 74.

This drags a little at times, but I really dig their vibe. I'm getting a more chill version of Pulp from them (and it's no secret I'm now a big Pulp fan), even though they're not British. Interesting that they're American, but they were more popular in the UK than the US. Maybe the Brits got the Pulp vibe from them too. Anyway, love the creative and introspective lyrics, love his voice, the horns are really great, and this is just a comforting and warm kind of album to wrap up in. It did end on a rather depressing note, although I really liked that song in general. Also, this is album 365 for our group! Made it a whole year already, it's been quite a ride!

Great for elevators and falling asleep.

A nice album.

nice. But not wow.

Chill music. Can run in the background quite nicely. Sometimes a bit slow

Sólido sólido álbum, sin hitazos pero disfrutable del minuto 1 al final. Me guardo algunas joyitas

This took me back in a major way. I've no memory of really knowing this album, or very much about Lambchop, except this general sense that they were a good thing. Anyway, this was great. Really sad and mellow, but not lightweight or boring at all. The quality of vocals was very striking.

Total shit.

Just behind every song, you can almost hear their anuses clenching from trying so hard.

4.5

Cool album. Liked the mixture of genres.

I liked the music, really would benefit from a better vocalist

Middle of the road. Not over or underwhelming. Appropriately whelming.

Guy with a buttery sing/speaking voice tries to convince you he can hit those high notes. He sounds like the He-Man meme song when he attempts the high notes. Really kind of rips you out of the songs when he is singing/speaking normally and randomly cuts to high notes. Amazing instrumentals.. HIGH NOTES! 6/10

There are a surprisngly large number of these indie / country hybrid albums. This is a fine album, though it isn't particularly stand out at anything. I enjoyed listening through it, with my favorite being Up With People. The music is calm, but repetative. A bit refreshing after a couple of punk albums in a row, though not sure when I will be back for it.

Pleasant enough Americana but couldn't tell you a thing about it now other than i liked the strings and sounded a bit like a soundtrack to a slow, sepia-tinged indie film

This grew on me

I really liked the chilled country tinge. Some interesting phrasing of vocals. Definitely want to listen to more by them. Reminded me of Giant Sand who I think we had quite early on, or Big Thief

It's a little boring. Music is good in places but the falsetto voice is terrible. I would not listen again.

Very cool but got a little boring.

What a strange album--or I guess I should say unexpected, but in a good way. I'm not sure I've ever heard of Lambchop, let alone heard any of their songs. Kurt Wagner's style and voice is vaguely reminiscent of the Magnetic Fields, or maybe the mellower sounds of Pulp, but not in an imitative way. I didn't listen as carefully to the lyrics as I probably should have, but I can tell there's a lot going on in the songs, and I enjoyed the experience overall. The only tracks that stood out were "You masculine you" (not a fan of the falsetto, although it's much more tolerable on the somewhat more hard-hitting "What else could it be?"), the video for "Up with people" (pretty much the only direct reference to Richard Nixon, and a super creepy mouth-overlay making it seem like Nixon was singing the song during some (presumably disastrous) press conference), and the darker and more rock-oriented end to the album with "The petrified florist" and "The butcher boy". On the whole, I pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed the album as much as I did, despite what would otherwise seem *way* too far along the easy-listening spectrum than I'd prefer. (In that sense it reminds me of Ween's "country" album.)

Felt like an inside joke, as if you went to a show and there'd be these hardcore fans nodding sagely to the erudite wit and social commentary while you order a double and wish you were just a little bit higher.

Idk chill album just weird and odd. Not my cup of tea. Really wondering if/how people sit and listen to this for fun the way i watch a movie

Ehhh

Not a bad relaxing album. It would be so easy to just sit back and chill to this.

It's 18:45 on Sunday and I am still hungover. Went to United where we got turned over 0-3 at home to Bournemouth. It's blowing a gale outside and I've come back up to bed. I needs a musical hug. Enter this record. First track feels like Bill Callahan meets Divine Comedy. Then I fell asleep. Awakening after a short nap, I drag myself downstairs to make tea with this on. Amused to discover later on reading the entry in the book that it suggests the exact activity I was already undertaking. The falsetto songs are weird. What's going on here? The lush instrumentation is clearly good, but this record is simply curiously devoid of memorable tunes. I already had Up With People marked as liked so that one was ok. Yeah, listened back after the record and that's surviving. Easily the best song here. I couldn't pick any of the others out of a line up. Not something I'm likely to return to, despite being in the perfect place for it today. Yes, I do get Richard Hawley vibes also, in that it's nicely made and very forgettable

Interesting new listen

I can't call this bad, but I can call it boring af... In fact it bored the fuck out of me.. I won't be able to have sex for an entire week because of this album (5.75) 😴😴½

Overall doesn't connect with this and finds it boring

This is a really cool album. Much like their 1998 album, What Another Man Spills, Lambchop blends immaculately played old school country with orchestrated soul, and adds an element of weirdness over the whole affair. It's not perfect -- the last two songs are an odd fit for the rest of the album -- but there's a lot of standouts here -- "You Masculine You", "Grumpus", "Up With People", and "The Book I Haven't Read". 4.5 stars.

3.5

Lambchop dude seems like a bit of a shyster. Takes a bunch of elevator country and soul and does completely interchangeable Kif Kroker-style wispy breathy mumble singing over it. There aren’t really any discernible melodies and the songs don’t tend to go anywhere. It’s mellow and listenable enough because of the easygoing music backdrop or at least until the falsetto starts and then it’s really hard to take the record seriously because it then turns into gushing ballads from a Miss Piggy/Audrey from Little Shop Of Horros/squeaking radiator hybrid creature. It adds a crazy level of cringe to what is otherwise a completely bland yet pitchfork approved faux quirky alt-country/indie album.

I don't like it. Elevator music. Not memorable at all. Sometimes he sings falsetto. I hate that. Most of the songs are not bad, but none of them stand out in a positive way to me.

This was decent. A nice mellow listen. Not memorable enough for four stars, but better than I expected.

Of the albums and artists I have been introduced to throughout this project so far, this is the one I am most embarrassed for having not known.

I hated this and wish it would be removed from the list.

An easy listen, with some good variation and lots of instruments in the mix, but somehow it feels so devoid of any emotion of sticking power. Either the lyrics are just too cryptic or it was hard to stay tuned in for the whole song, but the whole thing just feels so melancholic. 4/10

“Chamberpop,” country, and soul fusion may not sound very interesting to you… nor did it to me.

Turned it off because it was so boring

This was pretty. Really relaxed and mellow. Lots of little nuances. Very clever. Not pretentious. Just really nice music, genuinely well made. The second half I could live without, but the first half is very nice. 3/5

What a bizarre album. Can't say I liked or hated it. It just sort of exists. I'm not sure why this was popular in the UK either. I'd rather listen to Jens Lekman.

Some good beats, especially towards the back, but generally felt like I was trapped in a mad-lib book I couldn't escape.

This album was an absolute mess, mostly a snoozefest, but the falsetto songs were cringeworthy enough to earn 1-star

The vocals: way too whispery. While listening to this album, I got the feeling I was intruding on someone else's private conversation. A bit like Leonard Cohen, except much too soft. The music: I liked "You Masculine You". The horns were a nice touch.

Never heard of this band before, and the music was immediately forgettable.

I went in blind, and was plesantly surprised. Would write more, but time is fleeting. 4/5

P1sh

Zzzzz! What? It's finished? Sorry, I fell asleep! Zzzzz

Dull Dull Dull

This was a bad album. His voice is bad and sounded like a TV skit song most of the album. Shouldn’t have been on this list.

Bad,bad,bad voice and it made no sense at all

Musically it was very vibey and just kinda floated in the background. Didn't really do anything for me either way. His voice however was just plain bad. Did. Not. Like. Did not remind me of Cohen the way his voice sounded but the lyrics sure did. Most of it was poetry-esq nonsense that felt like he was trying too hard to be mysterious and deep. It was just stupid. Don't know why this was on the list.

why, why, WHY did I need to spend over an hour listening to this??? lyrics are nonsense &/or pretentious mumbling. and the falsetto is awful. 1.5 stars. only reason they get bumped to a 2 is the music (when no one was singing) was ok as background

Sometimes I feel that rating on one listen might not be fair to the artist. If I have never heard them then at first blush, it is difficult depending on my mood. This selection is prototypical... I am in the mood for upbeat/punk aggressive and this is not it. It is melodical and smooth. I will need to come back and re-listen.

Really don't like this, sorry. 1 Star

Not for me. Overall, I found it boring and plain.

Kinda passed me by without much fanfare. Not what i was expecting at all but not really my bag.

Not entirely sure what this is. Mellow. Lounge music. Very monotone. But not unappealing.

Quite awful and I wish could’ve skipped it

Music was playing! It was (with kindness) nothing :)

nope

Man this was boring. The whole album sounded the same. The musicianship of the band is about the only good thing I can say about it. It's also the only reason I gave it a 2 instead of 1. The vocals are monotonous and the singer should stop that falsetto.

I am quite whelmed.

Oh, in a stunning twist I actually liked this less after switching to headphones. Maybe this is just a better morning album than evening one? IDK, this wasn't without it's moments. I liked "Butcher Boy" and "The Old Gold Shoe" but a lot of it was slow and didn't really speak to me.

I've never listened to Lambchop before, but they've been recommended to me by several people so I'm excited to get into this. This was nice, I was expecting more of an alt country sound so I was surprised by the lounge and soul vibes that kept popping up.

soft

Nice if somewhat short mix

i feel like what they were trying to do with this album was to make it whimsical and grandiose… “pet sounds”-esque, if you will. and to me, it just falls flat. an album that takes itself a little too seriously.

Ehhhhhhhh

I'm trying to work out why I love this album so much. When they get into that soulful groove I don't care that his falsetto doesn't fit the mark. When they're getting sad I don't care that he sometimes hits a flat note. I think he might be another Dylan: superb lyrics with a voice that conveys emotion.

one of the most boring albums i've ever listened to

I'm not a fan of the singer, especially his falsetto and when it's almost spoken word. I enjoy the instrumentation though. It's quite nice.

An album that never gets out of first gear.

If Rufus Wainwright and Stufjan Stevens had a love child in the U.S. state of Tennessee but forgot to give him singing lessons

6.5/10

5.5/10 Feels like the kind of album I would hate, but I don't. It's pleasant enough and goes in all kinds of directions that aren't quite as boring as the mellow sounds and raspy vocals would suggest. Highlights: Petrified Florist Butcher Boy The Old Gold Shoe

I liked it alright enough but I don't think it belongs on the list

Alternative music with a tinge of country. This made for an interesting listening experience, but didn't leave me with a lot to come back to.

long and smooth, one of the times where i feel like my total lack of remembering anything specific that Happened on an album might have been part of the specific design. the smoothness makes u swirl around like a marble in a perpetual motion machine...more hypnotizing than anything. a couple tone shifts like the last couple of tracks do stand out, melodies are often beautiful, and i think more than anything my main takeaway is kurt wagner's voice which perfectly balances Commanding Presence with utter gentleness. also perfect fall music obviously but every season looks the same in the texas suburbs lol. kinda rly loved this one tbh

This was pleasantly enjoyable

I couldn't get into this one. The instrumentals were lush and pretty, but something in the lyrics or his voice took me out of it every time. Not my cup of tea.

Very Good! Very chill, and minimalist, but I like that a lot. It does what it means to do, and I thoroughly enjoy it. My Top 3: 3. Grumpus 2. Up With People 1. The Book I Haven't Read

This would be a pretty cool album without one of the most irritating singers I've ever heard in my life

Sólo completé el 70% del álbum, no fue de mi agrado, no es mi estilo y no puedo encontrar algo que me haga valorarlo o querer escucharlo de nuevo.

3.3 bit forgetful

I’ve listened to this album twice now and each time I’ve completely forgotten to write a review. I seem to remember the music being relaxing and pleasant enough, especially while driving at night, but I couldn’t for the life of me name one of the songs or hum even a few notes of one of the melodies. This album slipped off my consciousness like water off a duck’s back, so I can’t give more than a 2.

This was a decent vibe I suppose, if not a little forgettable. Simpsons: No

Very boring, absolutely no place on this list.

It was okay; it didn't really stand out and just faded into the background.

Solid fine album. Didn’t pay too much attention but I enjoyed the bits I did tune into

Easy listen. Not bad.

listened to the first song and hated it

Pretty good but not fitting my vibe right now. Would have loved it on the day it was scheduled probably

I remember when this came out there was a lot of hubub about it amongst the Americana crowd. I had never listened to it. It was just ok

Lambchop es un artista esencial en los 90-00. Con una producción inmaculada, How I quite smoking, Is a woman o este Nixon, son discos realmente buenos. Grumpus fue un merecido éxito y Up with people aún más. Otras gemas son The Old Gold Shoe o Nashville Parent, aunque cualquier tema es único y especial. Otros discos del 2000: COLDPLAY- Parachutes, PJ HARVEY - Stories from the city, stories from the sea, YO LA TENGO - And then nothing turned itself inside-out, THE JAYHAWKS - Smile, EELS - Daisies of the galaxy, THE WATERBOYS - A rock in the weary land, ELLIOTT SMITH - Figure 8, RADIOHEAD-Kid A , U2-All that you can't leave behind, MADONNA-Music , QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE-Rated R , Dakota Suite- Signal Hill, David Gray- White Ladder, Mojave 3- Excuses for travellers, Piano Magic -Artists´ Rifles, D'Angelo- Voodoo, Primal Scream- XTRMNTR, Goldfrapp- Felt Mountain, Death Cab for Cutie- We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes, Doves- Lost Souls, Black Box Recorder- The facts of life, Calexico- Hot Rail, Ágætis Byrjun (Sigu Ros), The Sophtware Slump (Grandaddy), The Marshall Mathers (Eminem), Skantonia (Outkast), Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven (Godspeed you black emperor!), Since i left you (The Avalanches), The Noise Made by People (Broadcast), The great eastern (The Delgados), The Friends of Rachel Worth (The Go-Betweens), Tourist (St. Germain), Community Music (Asian Dub Foundation), Chore of Enchantment (Giant Sand) y otro monumento en forma de triple álbum como es 69 lovesongs (The Magnetic fields). Hasta Born to Do It de Craig David o A Grand Don't Come for Free de The Streets y Music de Madonna).

Another puzzling inclusion. On a scale of Best Music To Be Played In An Artisan Bean Brewery - they also sell hand printed postcards from local artists - cleary a 9/10 at least (until Petrified Forest and Butcher Boy come up and Delilah has to hastily rush over and skip those). But other than that it just seems like a wanky collection of vibey sounds. And I get the impression that it wants to be seen as much more but it absolutely is not. I have already forgotten most of it. 283 albums in and here's that word for the first time: "hipster". This is '00 hipstercore.

3.5

Slow and dull, vocals barely stand out in the mix

Very mellow. Many good songs here.

Surprised by this one... mellow rock... nice.

Bit boring

Such a good album!

"Nixon" is the fifth studio album by American rock band Lambchop. Their musical style is properly described as merging chamber pop, countrypolitan, R&B and "sweet" soul. The album was produced by bandmembers Kurt Wagner (vocals, guitar, synths, arrangements) and guitarist Mark Nevers. There are actually 13 people listed as bandmembers. The title "Nixon" refers to Richard Nixon as Wagner said the album's content was tragicomic. The album had highly positive reviews and, commercially, was their breakthrough in the UK reaching #60 on the charts. "The Old Gold Shoe" opens the album. People noise, a slow bass and guitar and Wagner's deep baritone voice. Strings are added. Nice arrangments. Wagner said this was based on his friend asking for a new pair of gold slippers and responding to the friend with the stereo talking to him. That's original. The guitar and beat give "Grumpus" a R&B feel. The synth and horns add some soul. The soulfulness meter is raised a bit as Wagner goes falsetto. People walk around in a fog and they need to wake up. Strings are moved to the forefront in "You Masculine You." A slashing guitar. Wagner's falsetto is all the way through. This sounds like early 70's soul. The song builds with the vocals and horns. Beautiful! Repeating, swirling sounds begin the first and only single "Up with the People." Electric guitars builds the pace. Handclaps and vocals are added. There's background female singers. There's a horn solo. I read this was about a traveling brigade of performers teaching family values. I've read several books with with similar traveling caravans. The album ends dark with "The Butcher Boy." Faster pace. More of a rock beat. Edgy guitar and horns. The song ends with a girl hanging herself and a suicide note. Didn't see this coming. There's a nice and beautiful sound to this album. Great arrangements of all the instruments and vocals. It successfully does mix baroque, soul, R&B and pop/rock. I didn't mind Wagner going falsetto at times to squeeze in some more soul to the music. I also didn't hear much country. With the baroque/chamber pop tilt, I can see why it was much bigger in the UK and pretty much non-existent in the US. This a very decent album especially if you're a chamber pop fan.

What a pleasure to get served up a truly underappreciated band, one that resolutely did its own thing and did it quite well indeed. Ohio and How I Quit Smoking would be worth additions to this list. Understated is the new hot and quiet is the new loud.

Lambchop have better albums but still decent. Just knew the general 1001 nerd would rate this lowly.

Boring 2/5

Mixed.

A little repetitive... But good chill vibes shit. Grumpus was a song I really liked before but it feels like an early peak in the album. 2.6

Seriously, What The Fuck is This Shit? Sex Pistols, The Cure, Sonic Youth, The Beastie Boys, INXS, The Replacements, Operation Ivy, Sinatra, Pavement, Beck, The Clash, The Beach Boys, Alice in Chains, Bad Brains, Fugazi. All bands with perfect 10 albums. Give me one of them. Not this shit!

I wanted to like this alt-country fusion but I couldn’t get past the high falsetto voice

Hmm

I took a look at the reviews on here first, and didn't expect much. I was pleasantly surprised. This is a really thought-provoking record with some great instrumentation and production. Kinda reminds me of Sufjan Stevens in places. Favourite tracks: The Old Gold Shoe, You Masculine You, Nashville Parent, The Distance from Her to There, Petrified Florist.

Pretty cool!

+4 for band/arrangement. -4 for vocals.

This is #day61 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... how about some pedestrian chamber pop country with occasional ball-squeezing falsetto vocals? For music of this kind, this album is too goddamn long... Again, what's the peculiarity of this one to have made its way to the list? Sorry, this is yet another 1 out of 5. Looking forward to #day62.

af hverju hef ég ekki hlustað á þetta áður. skemmtilegt kántrí drauma popp. 4,5.

Listened to this one twice -- neither time with much focus. Didn't command my attention, but also didn't interrupt my work. Overall impression is that it was fine, but not worth a third relisten. I know this makes for a shitty review, but ultimately, this was forgettable. 2 / 5.

This is exactly what I think of when I see the words "countrypolitan" and "chamber pop".

Really really like the smooth flowy guitar on this whole album. The singer has such a mellow yet outstanding voice which pairs very nicely with the instruments. The parts where he sings with his really high voice are a little weird, but the rest of the album is pretty fantastic. I don't really know what genre this is it sounds like a combination of many different ones, but whatever it is really does it for me. The random trumpet that is thrown in every so often gave me the chills. The album definitely lost some steam towards the end but overall this was still a very strong and unexpected 4.

Didn't care much for the first song but Grumpus is groovy. Also really loving Up With People. This started out really solid but kinda fell by the wayside along the way. Still had its high moments but the voice got super boring after awhile.

Starts quite snoozy. Not doing it for me. Very flat.

Idc

Really liked the atmospheric vibes of this album

Surprised by this. More chill than expected.

I cannot figure this band/album out. Part jazz lounge music, part Leonard Cohen/Tom Waits, part uncomfortable, and part 60s background music. I liked a couple songs and was so intrigued by it all. I did it love it, but I didn’t hate it either.

Can't say Lambchop is for me. The instrumentals on some songs were fine but overall not something I'd listen to. In some ways this reminded me of Leonard Cohen, just with actual background music.

Easy going, feels like dad music. As in it's a dad making music

Interesting. I think I like it.

Mostly Disturbingly bland. And then... Dear god, the falsetto on What Else Could it be? At least it broke up the uneasy listeningness. Oh god, the falsetto's back on the next one. Petrified florist (great song title) and butcher boy are far more interesting and now I'm wondering whether the album is actually a cryptic work of genius that exists beyond the understanding of mere mortals. Was the obviously very sincere Mr Chop playing five dimensional aural chess. What does it all mean? Is there some metatextual greatness underpinning the entire endeavour? Probably not.

Poor Nixon. If this is his legacy, then, coupled with Watergate, you really gotta feel for the guy. He was only trying to purge all the hippies, prolong the Vietnam War for as long as possible, increase organised crime rates by attempting to prohibit drugs and alienate drug users, and employ espionage to sabotage the plans of the Democratic National Committee. Simple pleasures. This album wasn't particularly a simple pleasure, though that's not to say it didn't have any positive aspects. The vocal alternates between a very weak timbre that can only be described as "generic-old-man-hunched-over-guitar"-voice and its significantly stronger/younger counterpart. And for what it's worth, some songs with the latter vocal are actually pretty good. The four track run of You Masculine You / Up With People / Nashville Parent / What Else Could It Be shows some vestiges of cohesive songwriting, incorporating some nice guitar and string hooks to engage the listener. The backing vocals, when they appear, are a nice atmospheric touch. I paid essentially zero attention to the lyrics (as I normally do), but there's some chance they were poetic. There's really no way of knowing. Typing this part a day later, though, the album just isn't particularly memorable – apart from the really discomforting old-man singing in about half the tracks. 2/5 Key tracks: You Masculine You, Up With People

Not a bad album.

I am in need of a very chill vibe right now so this started out on a high note for me. It was like a more modern day easy listening. And then it got weird. Giving it a 3 though cause of the vibe I needed.

I understand why no one seems to like this album, but it really did something for me. At some point in the future, I will 100% be getting wine drunk and dancing around to this in my kitchen while my husband rolls his eyes.

Sounds like Pink Floyd, Nick Cave, and Elvis had an orgy with a church choir and this band was comprised of the offspring and influences of that. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but I'm also not saying that's a good thing. In fact, it's very possible that listening to this music may prevent future offspring of any kind due to being pretty boring, which usually invites sleep instead of procreation. It is important to note, I am also not saying is a bad or good thing on its own.

Hints of Nick Cave, Elbow and maybe Cohen. Quite twee and gentle. Nothing offensive. Just not really my cuppa tea.

Why is this?

It was pretty good. The singer’s voice sounded uncomfortably strained at times and it wasn’t exactly my cup of tea overall, but still good.

This is certainly one of the albums i've listened to. As album 1007 I have nothing else to say. It certainly is an album.

I had zero expectations and it was actually an ok album with a nce voice.

Redelijk goed album. Nooit van gehoord, maar toch wel een mooie 3.4 waard.

meh

This was my first exposure to Lambchop and I almost bailed on the first song, mostly due to Kurt Wagner's drab vocals and somewhat sparse instrumentation, but luckily I stuck around for the second track. Grumpus is a nice bit of life added to this album after the snoozefest of The Old Gold Shoe. You Masculine You ends up being a bit of a cross between the first 2 tracks with very so-so vocals, but far more engaging arrangements (great melody, but the soft falsetto was distracting and ultimately just meh). So all that said, you can pretty much get a feel for this whole album in the first 3 tracks. Solid arrangements with beautiful strings and other accompaniment topped with dull vocals. I feel like this album would have been more enjoyable with a different singer. I guess 3/5?

This artist is Cat Stevens meets Remmy Shand. It was a decent listen. Some cool vocal choices: interesting alto and falcetto vocals. Nothing too crazy. But it was enjoyable.

Really bland stuff.

Less than 24 hours since I listened to this and I'm not sure I could remember a single thing on it.

Three tracks in and this is one of the most boring albums I have played in a very long time. Turgid, plodding and dull. I played this album three times and if I never hear Lambchop again I will be delighted.

#338. Who is this for? And also who decided this made the cut? There is no way anyone needs to hear this. Certainly no way anyone want to hear it either. 2/5: shit Song added to playlist: Up with People I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

This is a strange one, but I'm into it.

Very pretty Need to listen more but i cannot give this only 1 point more than def leppard

Not very country

Par la voix, la structure des pièces et les ambiances, me fait beaucoup penser à Eels, un de mes artistes favoris. Pourtant, j'ai trouvé l'album de Lambchop assez banal et convenu

Another too cool selection; feels like a sound experiment gone awry. Wagner's falsetto is reminiscent of Tiny Tim's Tiptoe through the Tulips but more grating, maybe because of the steel guitar. Either I was being lulled to sleep by the mellow grooves or it was bad.

ничего такой, интересный. но заунывноват)

liked the most popular song

172/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

A proper curate's egg of an album but some good tracks on it I'd listen again.

1. Glad I heard this. It's good. 2. But I wouldn't call it great. 3. I see that most of the hype was in the UK... typical of the 1001 project. This is definitely different. And good. So I may return to it from time to time.

Not what I was expecting. The trumpet was such a rich add. “you masculine you” sounded very much like a precursor to Phoebe Bridget’s Punisher.

This should be interesting but the performances are forgetful. Yes album was better 4/5

very interesting one this time around, what happens when you mix soul music with soft country influence. not only are the songs pretty mellow throughout, unfortunately the tracks aren't too interesting to listen to. they're not bad, just... i'm just not amazed. i feel nothing when i listen to this. it sounds nice, but just... yeah. nothing. i don't have a lot to say. it puts me to sleep, and the sudden high notes from the singer put me off if anything else.

A good album, not an artist I'd hear before. I liked Petrified Florist and Butcher Boy.

It was ok. I was happy when it ended though. Could have trimmed some of songs off. Will I listen to again: 1%

Not bad

This was pleasant but somewhat unmemorable.

Interesting. Have never heard of this guy and although it’s not my typical vibe, it was good to have in the background.

The album art perfectly matches the opening tune, with its floating on calm water vibe. But by the end I can't help but conclude this is just a snoozefest. Not at all sure why I had to hear it.

Already really love Up With People, so I’m curious to hear the rest of this. This was pretty. Really relaxed and mellow. Lots of little nuances. Very clever. Not pretentious. Just really nice music, genuinely well made. The second half I could live without, but the first half is very nice. 3/5

Cozy background music, got better when stripped down

I don't remember much about this album, other than I listened to it. I was struck by how it wasn't anything I was expecting, but apparently, it was not enough to stick out.

A good, fluffy, genre-spanning album. No peaks. All plateau

Varied but congruent

This is a great sound for 2000. It fits into the Will Oldham and Bill Callahan club. I can see how it influences bands like My Morning Jacket. Ultimately, this album reach the heights of those bands. The falsetto is sometimes forced and I find myself thinking they’re doing something they’re not entirely cut out for. But, I love the soulfulness and the genre bending.

Very pretty arrangements and calming lyrics. While it isn't an album that holds your attention, it was a lovely listen.

Ein Song wie der andere im Soft Pop Modus. Tut nicht weh, begeistert aber auch nicht wirklich…4/10

Nice enough music but I found it quite melancholy and too passive. The vocals aren't great so maybe that's why it passed me by a bit. Didn't hate it but wouldn't listen again

Not for me, I found this really boring.

This is listed as country and pop, and wikipedia calls the band a rock band, but it sounds like all the most boring parts of those genres. The weird bells, the orchestra, the bad falsetto, nonsense lyrics. It lacks anything to connect with.

nice

I'm starting to think that the generator is trying to torture me this week by giving me crappy albums. This is the third albums in a row that was absolutely awful. Beyond boring with no soul, no energy, no heart. Just a whole lot of nothingness.

Enjoyed it. But nothing stood out as 1000 to hear before die worthy.

I was skeptical when this popped up as my daily listen but it was actually pretty good. Plus, it was my 501st album so, regardless of what comes next, I'll be able to say that Lambchop and Nixon played a memorable role in my completion of this marathon!

A really nice mellow album that I actually really like. Hmmmmm.... I'm getting old. It's a super nice 70's mellow soul feel with some "countryish" sounds mixed in. Lover it!

Favorite Track: Up With People You Masculine You

Boring Spottiswoode. Nobody needs to hear this before they die.

Pretty bland for me. And so long. One track felt like it led to the next without any discernible difference. Wish I could hate it but I can’t even remember it. 2/5

🎧Strange little album. I get Ween vibes from some songs but there’s also Up With People (favorite track) which sounds like Belle and Sebastian fronted by Bill Callahan. I also like You Masculine You and Butcher Boy.

Very boring an unremarkable. The production quality from song to song is also very uneven. Reminds me more of muzak or a b-movie soundtrack

Good

Aptly named after a cut with a disappointing amount of meat on it. Decent enough background music.

Nix

so much fluff

Lush instrumentation and some nice vocals. So why is it so boring? And that falsetto makes me wince.

None more mild

Lambchop is an interesting artist. He's a wordy songwriter and does some interesting things with his voice. I first discovered him a few years ago with the 2016 album "FLOTUS," which features auto-tuned vocals. I have a soft spot for artists that use auto-tune in unconventional and artistic ways, and I listened that album a few times when it came out. He certainly sings in interesting ways on this album too. His typical style is somewhere between a talky poetry reading and crooning. But wait, what is he doing with his voice on "You Masculine You"? Whispering in a falsetto that he can't hit? So strange. And again on “What Else Could It Be?” On that song he sounds like he’s going for a soulful 60s R&B style but because he can’t get anywhere near, say, Smokey Robinson’s upper register, the end result is almost parody. Honestly though, I’m kind of vibing with it. It’s absurd but sort of works. The music throughout is wistful, melancholy soul for the most part. It’s very pretty. There’s also some interesting alt-rock tracks. Not sure I connected with those as much. But this is an interesting album. I’m curious to listen to more Lambchop. Funny album cover. I think it captures the mood here — there’s a sweet, nostalgic tone to the music but also a fair amount of irony.

I really love this album cover. It's uniquely modern and retro at the same time- really right up my alley. When I saw it appear I was immediately thinking this must be a more recent album. I feel like there's some deeper meanings going on too but I haven't quite sorted that out yet from my wikipedia and "lyrics genius" investigating. I really want to like this. The music is so cool. I just don't like the vocals, I feel like the singer is almost too... approachable? Like it's only a few short steps away from spoken wordy at times? It's really hard to put my finger on but I don't find enough magic that attracts me to the singing. I do appreciate all the exploration that goes on- like those crazy falsetto tracks. It's kind of crazy to me though because as I listen on I feel like I would love to see this band live. They certainly offer something. "Up with People" was a standout track, I think mostly because of the cool laid back feel and the nice backing vocals. This one definitely made me stop listening and restart the track before sliding through the rest of the album. Around the mid way point in this album I was thinking it was a clear 2, but it's ending up as a 3.

Country legalzinho...nem é tão country assim na verdade