An affirmation of Lady Lamb’s talent
American musician and songwriter Aly Spaltro, otherwise known as Lady Lamb, has just released a new box set containing 35 tracks to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her debut album, Ripely Pine. This new box set is called In The Mammoth Nothing Of The Night and includes four LPs, adding up to around three hours of listening time.
The first of these four LPs is a remaster of Spaltro’s debut album Ripely Pine and includes a bonus track, “Up In The Rafters,” a song frequently played at live shows but not included in the original album. The second LP, Still Pining, includes new arrangements of six songs from the original Ripely Pine. The third and fourth LPs, titled Kicking Around and Hiding Out, feature 16 new recordings. Each of these new tracks was written around the time Ripely Pine came out, but never saw official releases until this now.
The tracks in this set range greatly in length. The shortest song comes in at just two and a half minutes, while the longest is nearly 13 minutes. Despite the varying lengths, the songs in this collection of LPs mesh together cohesively, weaving themselves in ways that complement each other, rather than standing alone and distracting from the larger feeling.
Among the new songs from this collection, the standouts include “Unparalleled Love,” “Beluga,” “Lonely Lust” and “Crane Your Neck,” a song which featured on the original Ripely Pine album and shines in both its remastered version and the “Still Hungry Version.”
“Lonely Lust” demonstrates Spaltro’s ability to perform both vocally and instrumentally. Her vocal performance is powerful in and is matched by the instrumental performance, which features keys, drums and strings, creating an upbeat sound. Several other songs in this collection match this instrumental variety, like “Beluga” which uses deep strings to create a feeling of blue ocean depths. Spaltro’s instrumental diversity creates an entertaining soundscape that is consistent while maintaining a feeling of novelty.
“Unparalleled Love” is a 13 minute epic finale to the collection that represents Spaltro at her finest and showcases her refined vocal performance and further demonstrates her instrumental range.
The remastered versions of the Ripely Pine tracks demonstrate the staying power of Spaltro’s musical skills, but the new music in the third and fourth LPs are the strongest part of the collection. Collectively, the new box set shows that Spaltro has earned her fame in musical history, as her dedication, skills and range appeal to both old and new listeners alike.
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