LAMBCHOP’S KURT WAGNER PLAYS THE DRAKE HOTEL (1150 QUEEN W) OCT 6.
Lambchop have, for 14 years, been synonymous with a distinct chamber-soul brand of what the old-timers call alt.country. Through the years, the group have featured a rotating cast of musicians who’ve beautifully illuminated singer Kurt Wagner’s writings, but Wagner’s laconic observations and sing-speak delivery have remained the band’s axis. Their dozen-or-so LPs have always succeeded on the strength of Wagner’s hushed late-night vignettes, however stylishly they’re gussied up. OH (Ohio) features a few rhythms — on “Popeye,” for instance — that are a little rockier than the norm, at least ’round Wagner’s way; but the album is ultimately of a piece with the other entries in the band’s catalogue, though without the little gems found on classics like Is A Woman or What Another Man Spills. There’s nothing new here, but fans should be content regardless.