Stand aside for breaking-into-heaven brilliance.
'Up With People' is one of the many highlights from Lampchop's inspired 'Nixon', which has been covered in glory since its release earlier this year. As an album, the Nashville alt.country impresario's have already recorded a contender for long-player of 2000, while 'Up With People' threatens to follow suit in the single stakes.
A wondrous cauldron of soul-bursting, gospel-imbibing country grooves, this track is a masterpiece, focusing on a bunch of kids who are 'screwing up our lives today'. Despite the apparent despondency, Kurt Wagner's brooding, languid timbre, supported by a jangling guitar line, mesmeric bass, sirening trumpets and joyous choir, is a breath of pure, intoxicating air.
With a sublime yet grand and graceful reworking by Zero 7 also included, this is the crowning glory that Lampchop have been striving for through five albums hard graft. Literally. The (approximately) 19 members all have full-time day jobs. Let's hope soon they'll be able to quit and make more music like 'Up With People'.
This weekend, alongside The Flaming Lips, Lampchop co-headline the last two days of a three-day celebration of the consistently challenging City Slang Records at The Royal Festival Hall, entitled 'Communication'. If you want to start speaking a different language, check it out.
