For 40 years, Kurt Wagner and his revolving cast of characters, Lambchop, have constantly reimagined the great American songbook from their Nashville home base. They have always been a band fluctuating between different genres and styles — from minimalist to orchestral, folk roots to experimental sounds — touching on lo-fi, soul, post-rock and much more along the way.

Now, Lambchop just announced their 17th album, Punching the Clown, with the single “Weakened.” The song hints towards a more stripped-down approach this time, centered around Wagner’s tender voice, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon on banjo, and a gospel-leaning choir. In the press release, Wagner adds some context:

in early 2024 i heard a song on the radio on my way to get some gas. just a minimal single chord strummed banjo and a small group of voices. it seemed perfect in the moment as the moment became perfect in itself. i never found out who it was, sounded kinda like early country gospel? … i wanted to make a record that emulated this kind of music.

Needless to say, they will succeed on their mission and it will be perfect.