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3 1/2A relic from the brief period when trip-hop displayed artistic value, this interesting import compliments excess and campiness with diverse, sometimes astute production.
This had the potential to be a great album. And I still can't understand why people call this trip-hop. I'm afraid to buy their last two albums out of fear that I'll have to listen to that ghastly electro-voice again.
If you listen on a good stereo, it's obvious that the harmonic envelope of her vocals has been truncated and shifted upwards in the frequency spectrum, leaving her sounding like a petulant chipmunk. But Lamb deserves a big thumbs down for one of the worst production decisions I've ever heard. It's spoiled, however, by what I'm certain is the bizarre electronic processing of Rhodes' voice.
I listen to this album in spite of the cringe-inducing vocals--there's still some excellent songwriting, arranging and playing on it. Vocal processing can make an average voice sound wonderful, but it's hard to imagine why anyone would want to use it to make a wonderful voice sound terrible--and as their first album demonstrates, Rhodes has a wonderful voice. And it's something that gets worse with repeated listenings rather than better.
Best heard on your computer or in your car where it just sounds as if her voice has become somwhat more shrill--the better your audio system, the more it's likely to drive you nuts. Drum & Bass plus a white female vocalist does not a trip-hop album make.
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. All Lamb's albums are awesome, but this one sums them up best. 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. 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. Fear of Fours is an absolute masterpiece, and is definately the place to start your love affair with Lamb. Happy listening
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. Andy Barlow and Louise Rhodes continue exploring interesting soundscapes after their intriguing self-titled debut. 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". 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. 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.
This is a mixed bag of different styled tunes to suit a wide variety of tastes. 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. My favorite is the one that does not feature the lead singer's vocals, the one that starts off slow, featuring the trumpet. 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). One of the greatest tunes ever. By the way, I like her voice, she could be ALOT worse = Britney (the devil) Spears anyone.
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