Ninety minutes of music? 'C'mon ...'

It's odd to see a band billed as alternative or indie when its style is literally adult contemporary. Upon listening, it seems quite a surprise to see Lambchop on the same label as …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead and Neutral Milk Hotel, although the latter is at least somewhat similar. Lambchop's new double album Aw C'mon/No, You C'mon comes across as a genre-changing, string-heavy lounge act with a Randy Newman clone singing bass, and as frightening as it sounds, it works.\nFronting a collective similar to Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Lambchop singer/songwriter Kurt Wagner decided to pen a song a day over several months and pare this selection down to the best of the best, the final result being these records. Songs on Aw C'mon seem like a soundtrack to a sad night on the town, especially the piano-laden "Nothing But a Blur from a Bullet Train" and "Steve McQueen." It's not explicit as to whether or not Wagner is depressed, but from the sound of most of these tracks, he's certainly not happy and that theme pervades the entire work.\nNo, You C'mon starts with sunshine -- the lounge aspect is still present even in a more rock-related number like "Sunrise," but within a few tracks the negative (and slightly repetitive) edge is back to the forefront. There are a few genre-benders thrown in for good measure: "About My Lighter" is pretty much pure rock with ambient noise and an organ; "Shang a Dang Dang" has a touch of what sounds like a synthesized jaw harp; although pretty much like every other song, it retains the downbeat, somber string arrangement.\nThis is one of the most diverse collections of songs I've heard so far this year, but also like pretty much every other double album, it's just too much to take in at once. It's comparable in scope to the Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs, and like that hefty mass of music it has more than a few expendable tracks (including six instrumentals) which could frighten away an interested newcomer. While not perfect in the slightest (can double albums ever be?), its variety and distinct sound have the potential to reel in crowds of new fans. I just hope they're patient.