Bring it out for LAMB...
I went home with Fear of Fours the day it came out and fell in love with it instantly. From the first vocal track, "Little Things," I was hooked in. I find this follow-up album a bit more musically developed than their debut. I did anxiously catch their recent Boston show and was just floored by the sound! After seeing them live, I find I hear more of the layers on the actual CD; It's all in there. Anthemic tracks like, "All in your Hands" and "Fly" really lift the sound off the ground, while the music and beats remain subversive and dark as ever. On an intimate level, there is the gorgously haunting "Five" and the almost bitter love song, "Lullaby." There is drum & bass, acid jazz, big beat, but all with a unique twist that is truly LAMB.
An impressive follow-up
'Lamb' burst onto the scene in 1996 when their self-titled album was released. Not only was it a brilliant album, but it establised Lamb (love the name!) as one of the best drum and bass/ trip-hop outfits around today. Their second album 'Fear of Fours' takes a slight departure from the first, with the songs sounding edgier in some instances and the beats more creative. There is a strong jazz-type influence on the album with numerous songs containing old jazz samples, as well as featuring a killer double bass. Vocally, the lead singer Lou sounds more distorted and eerie this time round, which contrasts to the melancholic sound of the first album. Nevertheless, her voice features brilliantly on tracks such as 'B Line', 'Lullaby' and 'Fly'. Argubly the best track on the album is 'B Line', as it incorporates numerous 'sounds' and 'noises' which totally enraptures you into the music. The double bass adds a real sense of sophistication and progression, and the pulsating chorus is simply brilliant. Moreover, this is a most satisifactory second album, and it gets all the more better every time you listen to it.
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 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?
Three years elapsed between the U.K. 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
Aussie edition of the Brithop duo's 1999 & second album with a three bonus tracks, the very cool 'Gorecki' (Global Communication Mix) & two mixes of the record's first single 'B Line' (Herbaliser Mix & Lamb Lounge Mix). 16 tracks total, also featuring the second single from the album, 'All In Your Hands'. 1999 release.
Australian Version featuring Three Bonus Mixes 'Gorecki Global Communication','b-Line Herbaliser Mix'& 'b-Line Lounge Mix'.
