Lamb - 'Best Kept Secrets' (Mercury Records) Released 07/06/04

Will they, won’t they? The question on the lips of every Lamb super-fan is, will they split up? The release of their greatest hits seems to cement the fact that Lamb as we know them may not be around for much longer.

This greatest hits album is everything you would expect from Andy Barlow and Louise Rhodes. A showcase for the inventive and exhilarating live performances that have enabled Lamb to be one of the most recognizable acts in British music today.

Handpicked by the duo, the tracks featured on ‘Best Kept Secrets’ are evenly spread over their four albums. All tracks are grouped according to albums and listed chronologically. The first four tracks all hail from their debut self titled album ‘Lamb’. Cotton Wool is the trademark Lamb sound if not trademark track, Louise’s spooky vocals are laid bare over Andy’s beat making machine that he loves so much, followed by Gold, Gorecki and God Bless. Tracks from more recent albums include ‘b-line’, ‘Gabriel’, ‘Stronger’ and ‘Angelica’.

The result of this chronicle of their work enables listeners to really get a feel for how Lamb have progressed over the past eight years, Lamb’s talents lie in their constant invention, evolution and an appetite for doing things in a less obvious way to their counterparts. Andy’s love for technology new and old allows them to experiment and make sounds that other bands would die for; the main currency of Lamb however is Louise's voice, instantly recognisable, it's a voice that could visit you in your dreams or nightmares.

One thing is for certain, split or no split the people that give Lamb their distinct sound will go on to make great music in the future.