Fear of Fours

by

Lamb

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'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.

I was fortunate enough to see Lamb in concert in Seattle a few years ago during one of their tours. I was truely amazed at the quality of the singing and the incredible sound of their music. I immediately purchased their CD and became an instant fan.

I purchased fear of fours hoping for the same type of sound. The music is really incredible... it has the same incredible beats, the same modern sound... but something was missing. Some songs sound as through the vocal have been distorted. Rather than the beautiful soft voice that was in the debut album, the lead vocalists voice sounds shrill and harsh. It's too bad, because her voice was so absolutely beautiful and pure in the first album.

So... if you want a Lamb album, I recommend their first. This one just doesn't have the same musical quality.