Sad songs and happy persona have coined multiple phrases and even T-shirts within Nashville’s song writing community. Gretchen Peters and Caroline Spence spring to mind and now you can add Stephanie Lambring to the list. Before striking the opening chord, equating the polar opposite feelings was her greeting as the latest talent from Music City’s discerning side to head overseas debuted in the West Midlands.
Lambring’s lenghty career in music has been a stop-go affair with spurts, remodelling and altering the landscape to find the right groove. She is now in her 5th year of a second phase as a recording and performing artist. Several long term fans in the Thimblemill audience held memories from the first phase of 2009-2013 bringing CDs from the period and recounting the occasional show. The intermediate period saw the Indiana native polish her skills as a day-to-day songwriter getting by on publishing deals. Such a sharpness defines the current state of Stephanie Lambring's career.
After a 25 minute set from local singer-songwriter Simon Connell, our guest from 4000 miles away announced her arrival with warnings of misery and duly provided in the best possible way. For the next seventy minutes, we had an exhibition of blue chip songwriting starting with ‘Daddy’s Disappointment’ and rarely raising the happiness barometer.
Songwriting is an important median for tackling society’s issues and Lambring doesn’t hold back on body shaming, the ills of religion and different facets of conflict. Forget the existence of love songs. Two of the picks from the set included ‘Good Mother’ balancing the parental side of the opener and ‘Jasper’ where she expertly dissects a small town character. A further brace of memorable songs were ‘Purity Ring’ putting a different slant on the strike zone and ‘Old Folks Home’ being as literal in the content as the title.
It is the honest down-to-earth lyrics marking Lambring out as an exceptional creative writer. No need for fancy metaphors and flirty dreams (they are done well elsewhere), this is grit and what often defines country music. The gift on show is to frame so much sincerity in the three minute song.
The ultimate gift from Stephanie Lambring is the brutally epic ‘Hospital Parking’ defying literary laws to what can be included in a three and a half minute song. Poignant observations, achingly relatable lines and crafted lyrical inserts all play out within a instantly stark opening and the most unique of endings. A gem can make an artist. This song should be treasured.
When listening to the albums pre-gig, a resemblance to the music of the aforementioned Caroline Spence cropped up. The penny dropped in the encore when the mood was slightly lifted with ‘All the Beds I've Made’. This was cut by Spence on her landmark Spades & Roses album and instantly recalled as a Lambring co-write. A perfect end to an evening where you needed to fine tune your listening antenna.
What the future holds for the music career of Stephanie Lambring is unclear given her roller coater ride, though the songwriting chops will guide towards a fertile land. To move onto the next level of the overseas touring artist some collaboration would be useful to up the on- stage dynamics. The songs have a limitless potential for enhanced presentation. There will always be room for the ultimate stripped back performance like this evening but evolving is the art of longevity.
Select venues in the UK, particularly Thimblemill Library, have been fortunate to witness close at hand the re-emergence of Stephanie Lambring. Seeing a talent pass through your town is a privilege. Cherish these artists, offer encouragement in any form and you are preserving a special bond. There is a reason trawling your net 4000 miles yields results. Nashville is simply the best songwriting place in the world.
