Reviews

Andy Barlow was faced with such a decision on the break-up of Lamb and unlike his former partner in music, Lou Rhodes, his choice has been one of the former. Luna Seeds is the result and a fine one it is.

Paired again with a distinctive female vocalist – this time it’s Carrie Tree – this Manchester debut showed that he is once again setting sail on the intelligent dance and electronic folk seas.

That’s not to say that Luna Seeds are simply Lamb mark two. There is an obvious distinction. Carrie’s vocals are smoother than Lou’s, as shown on the audience-enthralling Compassion, but there is still the occasional shaft of beautiful violence and the shuddering light and dark format that Andy’s former incarnation excelled at.

Not that he seems to care about comparisons. Tonight, he was merely enjoying himself; rocking beside his laptop, gurning behind his drum, and generally proving that there is a simple pleasure in entertaining people that many performers would be wise to understand.

And like Lou, he’s not trying to run from his past, as a silky take on Angelica and a particularly pulsating Sun, both taken from Lamb’s final album Between Darkness And Wonder, showed.

It may still be early days for Luna Seeds, but for Barlow, it seems the right choice has definitely been made.