
Lamb (manchester) What Sound
Still one of the most inventive groups in electronica, Lamb continued pushing the boundaries of singer/songwriter drum'n'bass three albums in, and also came to grips with a few of the growing pains of their sophomore album. Even while Andy Barlow's productions again set a gold standard for ambitious, evocative, intelligent accompaniment, Louise Rhodes' vocals have improved noticeably since the occasionally over-reaching Fear of Fours. Yes, her crying, confessional style of delivery can still wear (especially for a genre never overly enthusiastic about vocals to begin with), but she's obviously gained in control without sacrificing intensity. The opener, "What Sound," begins with a set of tender love lyrics, gradually expanding with orchestral strings and Barlow's tight, stop-time production. The paranoid breaks of "One" give way to a downright extroverted performance on "Sweet," though Rhodes saves her most pained vocals for the very next track, "I Cry." Barlow scorches on the Chemical