Fear of Fours cover

Fear of Fours

Released

On their second album, Lamb had more money to spend, and they spent it on horn and string arrangements and a live backing band (trumpet, upright bass, drums). Singer Lou Rhodes shed the open earnestness of the debut, adopting a sneering, nasal tone that worked well with her jazz singer’s phrasing and floated lightly atop the grooves Andy Barlow constructed. “All In Your Hands” is a lost James Bond theme, Lamb attempting to out-Portishead Portishead (and succeeding); “B Line” dances on the line between jazzy and kitschy; “Ear Parcel” samples Charlie Parker without making a thing out of it. Bassist Jon Thorne is the album’s secret weapon, the crucial member without whom the whole thing would fall apart.

Phil Freeman

Recommended by

Suggestions
Hot Shots II cover

Hot Shots II

The Beta Band
Equations cover

Equations

Endemic Void
Carboot Soul cover

Carboot Soul

Nightmares on Wax
Nuyorican Soul cover

Nuyorican Soul

Nuyorican Soul
Busy Curious Thirsty cover

Busy Curious Thirsty

Spring Heel Jack
Visions cover

Visions

John B.
The Pearl cover

The Pearl

Aquanote
Fabriclive.26 cover

Fabriclive.26

The Herbaliser
Tourist cover

Tourist

St Germain