Lamb: Between Darkness And Wonder : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

In marrying the singer-songwriter mentality of vocalist Louise Rhodes with the jungle beats of producer Andy Barlow, British dance duo Lamb have quietly evolved over three previous albums into one of dance's most ambitious acts. The pair's fourth studio effort, Between Darkness and Wonder, pushes that ambition even further by moving from the jungle and trip-hop worlds into chill-out terrain as Lamb envision it. Tracks like the instrumental "Angelica" and the spacey opening of "Sugar 5" rely on heavily orchestral arrangements. Barlow's dance muscles still get a workout as well, particularly on the husky jungle climax of "Stronger" and the quirky techno of "Open Up." But the most exciting moments occur when Barlow and Rhodes are in perfect harmony. The atmospheric "Wonder" shuttles back and forth between the darker moments of Beth Gibbons' recent solo effort and Bjork floating above the clouds on nitrous, while the alternately genteel and explosive "Till the Clouds Clear" is a sublime showcase for Rhodes' vocal fireworks.

STEVE BALTIN
(February 24, 2004)