Search - Lamb :: What Sound

Let's get unconscious

Douglas King | Cincinnati, OH United States | 11/05/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD, like Bjork's "Vespertine", is the perfect album to listen to before going to bed (either solo or with company). Except for "Scratch Bass" (an up-tempo slice of electronica), the songs on this album are dreamy, seductive lullabies that help you drift off to the realm of the subconscious. Fans of the HBO series "Six Feet Under" might recognize my favorite track, the gorgeous "Heaven", from promos for their second season. Listening to Lamb beats counting sheep any day."

Talent and its Multiple Expressive Outlets

TastyBabySyndrome | "Daddy Dagon's Daycare" - Proud Sponsor of the Lit | 02/04/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lamb has been known to bounce all over the spectrum of electro-anthems, sometimes introducing the soothing sensations of a melodically calming voice into a fray that was previously lorded over by maddening beats and sometimes taking something beautiful and crafting a lovely rendition of madness around it. This seems to be one of their multiple talents; to take strange components and to make beauty out of them. Still, compared to the previous releases by the band, "What Sound" is something of a tame homage to the spectacles of the past. This isn't to say that it is bad in any way because that is far from the case, it is just that this calmer, less chaotic adaptation of ethereally haunting sounds came as somewhat of a surprise. Worse still, it came as a surprise that many people missed. The series Six Feet Under, aired on HBO, actually brought this album to light somewhat by adding the hauntingly surreal track "heaven" into their list of songs. Before then, many of Lamb's US audience weren't aware that Fear of Fours had been supplanted by something newer. This was a sad affair, too, because the album is actually a nice progression in the evolution of a talented duo. Some of the songs here are haunting in their own rights and some are simply flavors that I have to be in the mood for, making it a difficult album for me to work all the way through in one setting. Still, I can't leave the album alone because there are so many pieces showcased herein that are wonderful works of art, done with almost surreal vocals and sometimes surprisingly soothing instrumentation. This is especially true of "Heaven," which seems almost spectral in its haunting mix of vocals and sounds, and in the love song to her angel, "Gabriel." Others take different approaches and achieve the same ends, like the bizarre inclusion of "I cry," for instance, which is something somber that is placed to an oddly achieved minimalist beat, or both "Sweetheart" and "Small," which use a strange array of incorporated sounds to forge oddly catchy beats. This isn't to say that the album is without accelerated tempos either, because "scratch Bass" moves along nicely and even "Sweet" does so to a lesser extend. Still, if you're expecting the same versions of Lamb you've seen before, this is something using a different approach. - Also included with the re-release is a second album filled with remixes, something I won't cover because, well, they are simply old songs with new masks to wear. Its hard to recommend this to fans of Lamb, because some people simply do not seem to like it. I'm not certain why, exactly, because the album still has most of the major components that the other albums had within them. I personally find it highly enjoyable and liked "Lamb" and "Fear of Fours" as well, but would tell anyone thinking of purchasing it to reset their mindset first. Then, you will find something that is enjoyable on another in ways you liked and new ways as well."