Stuart McLamb
may be just one person, but he's created a vast musical universe with his project
the Love Language
.
McLamb
wrote, recorded, and performed the fourth
Love Language
album, 2018's
Baby Grand
, largely by himself, but it hardly sounds like the work of a one-man band. As on his previous albums,
is a sure hand in the studio who knows how to make his music sound as big as all outdoors, and
feels enormous, full of multiple keyboards, chiming guitars, deep bass, and massed vocals, and despite its widescreen scope,
rarely sounds overstuffed.
's songs work well on a big canvas, and he gives himself all the space he needs here. At the same time,
's super-sized arrangements and production are usually at the service of songs that often deal with broken hearts and emotional uncertainty, and it's impressive how he manages to keep one foot in each field.
is full of irresistible pop numbers, like the subtly soulful "Juiceboxx," the anthemic "New Amsterdam," and the explosive "Castle in the Sky," and this is as effective a fusion of the joyous and the mopey as you're likely to hear this year.
was recorded during a period of transition for
, as he ended one relationship and started another while leaving North Carolina for California, and this is clearly reflected in the songs as new beginnings and sorrowful memories make themselves heard in the lyrics. And "Let Your Hair Down" is a reminder that, along with his other skills,
is a hell of a singer.
is as ambitious as we've come to expect from
, and as successful in its grasp of thoughtful, artfully crafted pop music. ~ Mark Deming