To mark the 10th anniversary of her debut album, Ripely Pine, artist Lady Lamb has released a box set featuring 35 tracks. Lady Lamb, formerly known as Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, is the musical project of 33-year-old Aly Spaltro.
The newly released box set, titled In the Mammoth Nothing of the Night includes four LPs in total and clocks in at 3 hours of music. The first LP is a remaster of Ripely Pine including the original 12 songs along with one additional track, “Up In The Rafters.” The Still Pining LP features six new versions of tracks from “Ripely Pine”. Kicking Around and Hiding Out, the other two LPs, include 16 newly recorded songs, all written at the time of the Ripely Pine LP, but never before released.
With songs ranging from just over two minutes to twelve minutes long, the box set had the potential to be a disorienting listening experience, but the songs complement each other rather than distract. Among the standout songs are “Lonely Lust,” “Unparalleled Love,” “Shoulders,” and “Crane Your Neck,” the breakout song off of the original Ripely Pine album, which stuns in both its remastered iteration and in the newly released “Still Hungry Version.”
“Lonely Lust” is a welcome foray into a bolder-than-usual instrumental sound to back Spaltro’s powerful vocals. This track plays with drums, strings, and keys, producing an uncharacteristically upbeat, dance-worthy tune. On several other songs, Spaltro brings in a variety of instruments as well, carefully crafting a soundscape that manages to remain consistent while also staying fresh.
“Unparalleled Love” is Spaltro at her best. A 12 minute epic, Spaltro’s vocals are elegant and piercing. “Shoulders” accomplishes an impressive emotional payoff, as Spaltro repeats “I’m most alone when I’m alone with you.”
There is a specific edge to Spaltro’s vocals that make her songs uniquely heart-wrenching. The simultaneous rasp and clarity of her voice alongside the lyricism and wittiness of her songwriting is a singular experience in modern music.
The remastered versions of the Ripely Pine tracks cement Spaltro as a timeless presence, but it is in the three new LPs that she shines. As a whole, the box set proves that Spaltro has earned her place in the legions of music history. The range, scope, and world-building expertise that Spaltro showcases is a testament to her dedication to the craft. With a decade of experience under her belt, listeners should feel lucky that Lady Lamb continues to lift the curtain and welcome the audience into her sound.
The In the Mammoth of the Night box set is available for streaming now. It will be released as a physical box set on August 18. Spaltro will embark on the ‘That We May Ripely Pine’ solo tour on August 15th.
Rating: 9.0/10
