Chris Lambert - Two Guns [CD]

Two Guns is an acoustic-driven song cycle littered with ear-pleasing aural confections. Lambert's ambitious guitar ballads are fleshed over with organ, violin, piano, bells, musical saw, mandolin, cello, xylophone, synthesizer, harmonica, glockenspiel, and many random household objects (all of which are played by him). If you think that's slightly impressive, a first glance at the lyrical content of songs like The Dirt (a stiff and static guy/who said goodbye to life/put down the gun, and hit the dirt) and the complex rhyme schemes present throughout the album are enough to set any English professor on a wit-fomenting analytical endeavor. A far cry from his pop/rock-tinged past, it's apparent that Chris Lambert has grown up. That's not to say that he's left his sense of humor behind. He's just found a deeper, more philosophical way to utilize it. Have I mentioned the liberal usage of leitmotivs, recurring characters, deep-rooted plot lines and unforgettably vivid imagery? Yes, it's safe to say that this album is something along the lines of an Acoustic Baroque Pop Suite, and if I may be so bold, nearly as conceptually drawn out as a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. The melodies are sweet and memorable, the two duets will make you say "awww" more than once, and even once the CD has left your player, the tunes will find a comfortable place to rest in your heart. -Crayola Death Mobile Digest September 2007.