Between Darkness and Wonder

‘Wow’ was my first reaction to this album and, after umpteen listens, it remains my definitive line. It’s been a long time since I heard something so thoroughly beautiful and compelling that I’ve been hooked on every beat in every song on the entire 14-track album. Like I said, wow.

Lamb’s fourth studio release cements their reputation for consistently brilliant and imaginative releases, begging two questions – is there anything they can’t make sound amazing, and if not, is it something it in the Mancunian water?

Their self-titled debut blew our minds in 1996 with its song-oriented approach to jungle/drum n bass production, and since then Andy Barlow and Louise Rhodes have provided the ultimate, shining example of a harmonious marriage between the warmth and human-ness of truly poetic lyrics and the limitless technological possibilities of electronica.
Far from being either a ‘dark’ – or for that matter a ‘light’ – affair, this record is an expression of life’s most confusing moments. In music and in life Lamb clearly respects the all-important X factor, and Darkness And Wonder sees them revel in all the glorious shades of grey. As Rhodes sings in ‘Hearts and Flowers’, “Those people that make up Valentines forget the flesh and blood of love/Like yours and mine”. These are love songs for the real world.

Barlow, meanwhile, has created an album of simply stunning compositions – it’s the finer details lurking between the vocal sweepovers and sublime string arrangements that weave the magic. ‘Angellica’ is a particularly luscious instrumental track, while ‘Wonder’ is another dreamy Love-Boat-on-E number that sees Rhodes pondering the complexities of life with all the simplicity of a six year old child. ‘Till The Clouds Clear’, is an emotionally-charged song that builds with all the electricity of a thunderstorm and requires a few silent moments in which to recover from what in this listener’s opinion is the pinnacle of the album.

As if you need any more incentive, the album release also features two remixes of ‘Gabriel’ (taken from their last What Sound record) – one by the legendary Nellee Hooper and other a two-step rendering courtesy of MJ Cole.

Wow and wow.