Album Review: The Julie Lamb Outfit

The Julie Lamb Outfit – How Humans Think
(Independent)

Reviewed by Tim Gruar.

‘How Humans Think’ is the fifth album from Wellington Accountant-slash-Jazz-slash-blues-pub pop stalwart Julie Lamb. Its a pleasant and witty offering that demands multiple listens. If you manage to make it to a café during level two, then there’s a good chance that this could well be a soundtrack to your next latte and croissant.

Each album so far has reflected the growth and emergence of Lamb’s sound. 2017’s ‘Ordinary Days’ was a smooth and exciting blend of funk, offering the listener an appealing ride with quirky surprises. Her latest album continues the journey.

When Julie Lamb shouts they all come running. She’s been ‘band mum’ to many and collaborator with local musicians for many a moon and regularly appears on the stages of bars and pubs around the country peddling her smooth vocal blues and jazz with tinges of pop for good measure. This time she’s wrangled up an ‘8-piece kick arse funky pop band’ – aka ‘The Julie Lamb Outfit’, featuring some seriously consummate professionals from the local scene. That includes pianist, vocalist, (and wondrous chocolate maker) Shan Jordan. Jordan is also the songwriter responsible for three of the best tunes on this album. Keeping good time is drummer and Italian national Giacomo Caleffi, who lays down some very old school jazz beats across the more lively tracks. Bassist (‘Dr.’)Chris, trombonist Kali Barton, Sax/clarinet player Amity Alton-Lee, lead guitarist Eoin Williams, and backing vocalist Miranda Turner fill in the rest of the line-up.

It was a small miracle that How Humans Think got made, given the impending chaos Covid-19 has wrecked across the music industry. So, Lamb’s latest disc was recorded and mastered at Matrix Digital Studios between October 2019 and March 2020, hitting the cans not long before lockdown – meaning all the engineering and mastering had to be done remotely behind closed doors.

The best songs on this album are the ballads. ‘Leftovers’, a simple song about the remains of a relationship. Simple and tender treatment that beautifully showcases Julie’s voice. ‘Busy is the New Black’ is a cool, sardonic bluesy number poking fun at the ‘busy’ myth that we all wrap ourselves in to create a false sense of importance in our daily lives.

Shan Jordan’s ‘This Time I won’ is deliciously forlorn. There’s a touch of Bach on Piano and angelic harmonies from Shan Jordan and Miranda Turner. Jordan continues the class act providing a touch of Brecht/Amanda Palmer on ‘Let Go’, which is only a two-step away from fellow-former Welly Jazz-dramatists 6 Volts. Probably my favourite song on this album, too. There’s more than a nod to ‘Chicago’, ‘Threepenny Opera’ and ‘Burlesque’ in this one. Shan Jordan’s piano vamping is quite provocative but the production on this one could have been a little bit more dirty and raunchy to spice it up another notch or two. Perhaps performed live they will knock off the corners and bust up the furniture a bit.

I can’t be certain but reading between the ironic and narcissistic lyrics of the jazzy/funky ‘Hair Power’ could well be about Mr Trump: “Is there a moment in circumstance when you’re literally not making plans for world domination?/Am I even in your nation? What were you thinking as you said your piece/Look at your chutzpah and your certainty Look at you/You like me looking at You/I like what you’ve done with your hair.” The accompanying video certainly gives you the impression that the subject of the song is one of those control freak corporate suit types – not a man to mess with.

Amity Alton-Lee shines on all the horn sections, especially on ‘Thunder’. The alto sax solo is quite divine. Again, a mix of clever lyrics and funky beats, courtesy of the combo of Eoin Williams (guitar), drummer Giacomo Caleffi and bassist Chris Fursdon.

How Humans Think has been a long time in gestation. The mahi definitely shows. A year on it will finally drop, and hopefully we’ll get to see the Julie Lamb Outfit play at the upcoming Wellington Jazz Festival or they’ll be coming to a bar near you. If they do, then make sure you catch the act. This album is a great document of their live potential. Here’s looking forward to hearing the real thing.

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