Formed in 1994 by producer Andrew Barlow, Lamb debuted in 1996 with an ambient and electro-jazz soaked self-titled album, the success of which brought a heap of remix work their way and saw the group hailed as one of the most inventive groups in electronica.
For its fourth album, Lamb has created a temperamental work that has the ability to excite, shock and thrill with a selection of stylishly arranged sounds and vocals. Part chill-out, part upbeat, Lamb's Between Darkness and Wonder is made up of a series of tunes, that, while far too ambient to leap out of the speakers, still manage to grab the listener by the throat thanks to their numerous twists and turns.
Even though much of the material is cloaked in the Valium haze of an orchestral mantle -- tunes like the swooning Stronger and the heartbreaking instrumental, Angelica, on which a piano plays wistful catch-up with a slow and muted backdrop of electronica -- the album is breathless listening.
Four-piece jangle guitar act, Bad Daughter (壞女兒) is one of the growing number of indie-pop acts that have sprung up over the past couple of years like a breath of fresh air. Along with Tizzy Bac and Won Fu (旺福), Bad Daughter has turned what was once a predominantly second-rate grundge/metal based local indie scene into something quite amiable and musically pleasing.
While the band's quirky Belle and Sebastian-like debut, Hairless Bear (沒有毛的熊), wasn't without its moments, its rather tiny sound and lackluster production, sadly let the group down.
Released last week, Little Sun (小太陽), is certainly a step up for the band and its jangly pop guitar sound. Tighter and more upbeat in places and drawing inspiration from bands such as Throwing Muses and early Raincoats, Little Sun is an uplifting listen from the off, with the first track, First Wish (第一個願望), a simple two-beat four chord song.
What follows are nine tunes in which the combo flirts with the downbeat and morose, but comes up trumps thanks to its constant return to jangle pop, with numbers like the classic indie-pop based Right is Right, Wrong is Wrong, There's no Right and Wrong ( 就是 -錯就是錯-沒有什麼 與錯). It's the totally out of character and nail biting Cherry Bomb, however, which showcases the album's real oomph.
RSS