Introducing: The Love Language

Name: The Love Language
From: Raleigh, North Carolina
Story: Merge Records' latest Love
Sound: Lo-fi wall-of-sound pop

When Merge Records announces a new signing, people take notice. Yet, when the Chapel Hill-based label announced the recent inking of Raleigh-based band the Love Language, the world seemed to shrug. Who were these unknown locals? Most didn't know. But a devoted few already did.

Early this year, the Love Language released a really great record on tiny Bladen County Records. To this point, it's garnered only a cult following, but has absolutely begged for a wider audience. The self-titled set finds songwriter Stu McLamb making a thick, fuzzy, lo-fi platter pealing with chiming pop-songs.

Slugging out jukebox-friendly ballads built on saloon-bar piano chords and heavily-reverberated vocals, McLamb has a wondrous way with melody. On "Manteo" he commands over a tender waltz-time tune that sounds for all the world like it should be coming from oldies radio, if only because of its sweet Phil Spector-styled showers of sleigh-bells.

Making its grandeur all the more impressive is that McLamb recorded these tunes whilst living in his parents' house, in the wake of a relationship gone sour. The seven-piece Love Language live-band was assembled only after the album was finished, but all hands will be on deck for the second LL LP, due on Merge in 2010.

• Listen: The Love Language, "Lalita"

Photo © Nathan Pazsint