[.ca] Fear of Fours

From Amazon.co.uk:
Three years elapsed between the release of Lamb's highly acclaimed debut and this CD, making fans of their moody trip-hop impatient. Does Fear of Fours deliver? Yes, but like many sophomore efforts, this one can't help but fall short of expectations. There is more of Lamb's full, emotional sound here, but while songs off the debut such as "Gorecki" and "Cottonwool" were beyond epic, most of the tracks on Fear of Fours merely get the job done. Where Louise Rhodes's vocals were near operatic, they are now more spoken wordish. And rather than complementing the lush orchestral instrumentation of partner Andy Barlow, the two more often collide. But there is beauty in chaos and nobody knows that better than Lamb. When Fear of Fours shines, it really shines. Take the drum & bass-influenced beat frenzy on "Ear Parcel" and the uplifting aria, "Fly". These alone are a testament to why so many fell for this Manchester duo in the first place. --Courtney Reimer

Masterpiece:
All Lamb's albums are awesome, but this one sums them up best. This was the first time I'd heard Lamb (besides the K & D remix of Trans-Fatty Acid), and it was totally unlike anything else I had experienced. It was so intense and different. Every listen opened up new tracks that I hadn't noticed before, and Fear Of Fours has the most cohesive album structure that I have ever come across. Lamb wakes you up with Soft Mistake and Little Things, takes you on a wild journey with Ear Parcel and Five, and finally says good night with Lullaby, with killer tracks like B-line, All In Your Hands, Softly and Fly thrown in along the way. Fear of Fours is an absolute masterpiece, and is definately the place to start your love affair with Lamb. Happy listening

Great record, probably their best yet:
Andy Barlow and Louise Rhodes continue exploring interesting soundscapes after their intriguing self-titled debut. While not as risky and adventurous as that album, "Fear of Fours" still brings something new and provides a rich listening experience. In fact, it`s probably the duo`s best record to date, offering a strong and creative mix of trip-hop, drum n`bass, downtempo and electronica. Louise`s voice sounds a little weird at first, but after a couple of songs it doesn`t matter much since these compositions are always absorving and engaging, setting an unique and futuristic mood. There's a lot of good stuff to find here, like the heartfelt-but-not-corny ballad "Softly", the strange and addictive "Fly", the smooth instrumental "Five" or the epic "Bonfire". It expertly mixes light and darkness, the emotional and the mechanical, providing a fresh and original record that deserves more recognition. This gives "pop" a good name.

Great Group:
I recently started hunting down any and all "Trip-Hop" inspired music and I am not quite sure how I came across Lamb, (probably thanks to Amazons suggestions) but I love this album as well as their newest "What Sound". Please if you enjoy smooth vocals and trippy hypnotic tunes then check this out!!!

Great CD:
I first heard about this group on a local radio station, the group's name was not mentioned since I was listening to the station's "Extended Trip" show: they play 3 hours of chill-out or Acid Jazz music with no commercials. When I heard the Filla Brazilla mix of Cottonwool, I was hooked from that point (on Lamb and Filla Brazilla) after a week of research led me to the groups name. I like this CD alot more than their previous one (where Cottonwool comes from). This is a mixed bag of different styled tunes to suit a wide variety of tastes. My favorite is the one that does not feature the lead singer's vocals, the one that starts off slow, featuring the trumpet. One of the greatest tunes ever. By the way, I like her voice, she could be ALOT worse = Britney (the devil) Spears anyone?

Fear of first Seven Tracks!:
Lamb separates themselves from the mileau of electronic "duos" comprising of a talented musician and a unique voice by writing songs which are capable of transcending the genre. Their debut album requires a lot of space and concentration but the results are mesmerizing. The first seven tracks on Fear of Fours sound like either failed attempts to mimic the success they found with their first album, or rather an attempt toward the mainstream. It isn't until you get to Ear Parcel that you hear a band beginning to forge in a new direction, and a welcome one at that. From track 8 on you'll hear a fusing of improvisational jazz and hardcore electronic rhythms accentuated by a peculiar, yet versatile voice that is both faxcinating, fresh, and wonderous. I hope that they realize the power of their creativity is relational to the boundaries they are willing to exceed rather than those they have established.

• Soft Mistake
• Little Things
• B Line
• All in Your Hands
• Less Than Two
• Bonfire
• Ear Parcel
• Softly
• Here
• Fly
• Alien
• Five
• Lullaby
• Gorecki \oGlobal Communication Mix\c\o*\c
• B Line \oHerbaliser Mix\c\o*\c
• B Line \oLamb Lounge Mix\c\o*\c