#fancy gap

“Strawberry Moon” was originally written more than a decade ago by McLamb, its demo arranged like an eighties pop song. For Fancy Gap, he has revived it as a duet with Sharon Van Etten. With guitars front and center, and Van Etten’s soulful voice exchanging verses with McLamb, it is one of the most memorable of the album’s songs. Another guest turn is by Taking Back Sunday’s Adam Lazzara on “Filthy Habits.” Tight vocal harmonies between McLamb and Lazzara are buoyed by an enormous sounding Hammond organ and Crossingham’s rhythm guitar. There is a sense of Springsteen in the song, particularly the “sha-la-la’s” in the chorus.

“Magnolias” features piano on the first verse, followed by a rock rhythm section playing big beats. Here and elsewhere, McLamb and Crossingham perform duet vocals, with a variety of spacings between the two singers. The penultimate chorus has the drums and bass drop out, leaving rhythm guitar and piano to play underneath close-part vocal harmonies. The end of the song brings the entire band back for a rousing conclusion. “40,000 Miles” is another standout, with a spare first verse sung by McLamb, followed by duet vocals and then an explosive guitar solo. Guitar and vocal overdubs build up the song’s texture until its conclusion. Another one of the album’s best songs is “Whispering Winds,” where the duo adopts the Laurel Canyon sound with a rustic arrangement and honeyed vocals.

Fancy Gap may be where McLamb is based, but the band is far-flung and fluent in their influences.