Picture it: a laser-lit, smoky room, floor-to-ceiling screens pulsing with light and color, reinforcing the trance-like rhythm so you forget it’s long past your bedtime – you’re dancin’, baby!
Here in the Queen City, the dance scene is vibrant and alive. Throw a stone, and you’ll likely hit a funky bar with a fun DJ – but this week’s band highlight isn’t spinning traditional club tracks. A dark edge pervades “I am.”, the third studio album from UC and Xavier songwriting professor and singer Jess Lamb, but the grooves win out to produce atmospheric and moody – as well as undeniably catchy – club tunes.
Released this summer via Queen City Sounds, Lamb seems downright boisterous from the tracklist; “I am.” starts every title, seeming to point to her directly. However, Lamb’s first lyrics are asking if someone else is okay and directing the energy outward. Those first question-and-answer, call-and-response lines immediately tossed my assumptions of the record out the window, revealing an inner anxiety that sticks around.
Track two, “I am the answer.” picks up the pace, feeling like a 90s dance throwback as it jams the refrain “we’re born to fly” deep into your brain. For people who’d rather shut up and dance, there’s plenty to be had on this record.
“I am free.” feels like a real high point, thoughtfully toeing the line between poignant vocals and danceable beats. The mood then shifts toward a more manic and sinister energy for track four, which the record dips in and out of through the rest of the runtime (namely “I am abundant.” that drones along for over ten minutes).
Echoes of artists from Chappell Roan to Grimes show up across the music – in fact, “I am love.” could almost feel like a direct collaboration between the two, if it weren’t for Lamb’s distinct and powerful backing vocals.
That self-assuredness comes through on “I am beautiful.” but at track ten, it feels more like self-affirmation after a long string of anxious doubts. God’s presence in the lyrics and themes can’t be ignored when searching for meaning in this record, but for as many references as there are, the real source of power throughout the piece seems to come from within.
Track 12, “God’s Imagination” ends the record on a quietly hopeful note. Featuring harp from Viktoria Lekson that reinforces the heavenly vibes, the lyrics read “now sing it / metamorphosis/transformative/manifest/destiny/with your own voice now”. Being a figment of God’s imagination could make some people feel small and insignificant, but Lamb seems almost relieved. She makes her own power, and tells you to do the same in the closing seconds with her call to action: “now shine!”
You can find last week’s feature on Oh! The Manatee here. Leave a comment on our Instagram or email me at ebloomfield@linknky.com with your suggestions for next week’s local band highlight!
