From Amazon.co.uk
Tension has always been at the core of Lamb's appeal but
What Sound is a different matter entirely. Louise Rhodes' angelic, if slightly unhinged, vocals being rubbed up the wrong way by Andy Barlow's dank trip-hop beats, manic drum & bass and sleazy jazz made the duo's self-titled
debut and follow-up,
Fear of Fours, supremely affecting. As it transpires, the tension was not just musical, and
Fear of Fours almost split the duo. Two years and a lot of hatchet burying later--and with the help of co-producer Guy Sigsworth who's supplied magical backdrops for some of
Bjork and
Madonna's best--Rhodes and Barlow are much happier together. Consequently,
What Sound is a very different Lamb album. While ingenuity and eclecticism are still firmly in play, the mood that runs through the other worldly sway of "Just Is" and the tender drum loops of "Gabriel" is one of absolute calm. And it's absolutely captivating. Likewise, "Heaven on Earth" and "Small", with Rhodes' serene vocals backed by the luscious swathes of synths, are gorgeous, and even the seedier
Massive Attack stylings of "One" manage to be effortlessly sensual. Certainly the tracks are far less jagged and contrary now that Rhodes and Barlow have discovered a harmonious middle ground, but Lamb are still, without question, one of music's most dynamic duos. --
Dan Gennoe
Chronique amazon.fr
Moins turbulente que par le passé, la musique de Lamb continue, à l'heure de ce troisième album, de célébrer les noces d'une voix ample et troublante, celle de Louise Rhodes, avec les orchestrations luxuriantes que manie Andy Barlow. Ce dernier jongle toujours aussi habilement avec des sonorités organiques (dont se dégagent de somptueuses cordes), des éléments électroniques et des rythmiques qui jouent ici la carte de l'apaisement. La réalisation est parfaite, le chant est envoûtant, les mélodies ont tout pour plaire, pourtant Lamb donne l'impression d'avoir troqué son inspiration originale contre une certaine efficacité qui condamne cet album à n'être qu'un bel objet. Un très bel objet tout de même. Comme quoi trop de maîtrise nuit parfois au plaisir ultime.
What Sound n'en passe pourtant pas bien loin sur des titres comme "What Sound", "Written" ou "I Cry".
--Fabrice Privé