Tension has always been at the core of Lamb's appeal but What Sound is a different matter entirely. Louise Rhodes' angelic, if slightly unhinged, vocals being rubbed up the wrong way by Andy Barlow's dank trip-hop beats, manic drum & bass and sleazy jazz made the duo's self-titled debut and follow-up, Fear of Fours, supremely affecting. As it transpires, the tension was not just musical, and Fear of Fours almost split the duo. Two years and a lot of hatchet burying later--and with the help of co-producer Guy Sigsworth who's supplied magical backdrops for some of Bjork and Madonna's best--Rhodes and Barlow are much happier together. Consequently, What Sound is a very different Lamb album. While ingenuity and eclecticism are still firmly in play, the mood that runs through the other worldly sway of "Just Is" and the tender drum loops of "Gabriel" is one of absolute calm. And it's absolutely captivating. Likewise, "Heaven on Earth" and "Small", with Rhodes' serene vocals backed by the luscious swathes of synths, are gorgeous, and even the seedier Massive Attack stylings of "One" manage to be effortlessly sensual. Certainly the tracks are far less jagged and contrary now that Rhodes and Barlow have discovered a harmonious middle ground, but Lamb are still, without question, one of music's most dynamic duos. --Dan Gennoe