The Love Language Bring Sunny Tunes to CMJ

Posted on Oct 22nd 2009 12:45PM by Mike Ayers
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After recently signing to Merge Records, Chapel Hill, N.C.'s the Love Language are currently in the throes of a rather hefty CMJ schedule. Considering that there's seven of them in the band, they're presumably going to have some tired arms from lugging all that equipment around.

On Wednesday night at Brooklyn's Bell House, their second show this week, the band played for a crowd that initially seemed unfamiliar with their tunes but warmed up quickly. That's easy to do, as the Love Language riffs on a familiar pop-meets-a-bit of country vibe -- think a cleaner, sunnier sounding version of Blitzen Trapper -- where they implore two keyboardists and a whole lot of jangle to their tunes. If one thing that stood out, they were a bit reminiscent of a late '90s-era Wilco.

None of this is a bad thing. The Love Language started out as a home project of the lead vocalist/guitarist Stuart McLamb -- after being asked by the Rosebuds to open for them, McLamb was forced to put together a band -- and it's clear that he found one with quite a chemistry. Songs like 'Manteo' and 'Stars' reflect on that old adage of lost love, but do so in a way that doesn't make you feel bummed out. The story is a familiar one with the Love Language in that McLamb wrote songs after a devastating break up, but instead of going the Bon Iver route where you're going to feel his pain, there's more of a redemptive quality in the sound and arrangements. This night, they didn't say much but instead concentrated on conveying their potential as a pop band to watch out for.

Merge is expecting the Love Language's new record in Fall 2010.