September 8 [12:00 EDT] -- The new British duo of Louise Rhodes and Andy Barlow, collectively known as Lamb, are based in Manchester, England, although Barlow spent his high school years in Philadelphia.

They met in 1994. The 21-year-old Barlow was taking a sound engineering class and later working for a Manchester music company as a remixer. Rhodes, a former press photographer and the daughter of a folksinger, was pursuing a career as a singer/songwriter. A mutual friend introduced them.

Rhodes' folk and jazz leanings turned out to be well matched with Barlow's hip-hop style. After a few months of writing, they attracted unsolicited interest from Fontana Records. They debuted with the song "Cotton Wool" on that label in 1996. They had immediate success. The song, described as 'haunting' and 'a classic mix of drum n' bass and jazz,' became a major hit on the dance club circuit. Their self-titled album followed on Fontana/Mercury.

Lamb, compared to Portishead, Everything But the Girl, the Sneaker Pimps and even Sarah McLachlan, combines electronic programming with recorded acoustic instruments arranged electronically by Barlow including strings, horns, double-bass and a vibraphone all molded behind Rhodes' vocals. The duo performs live with additional musicians, occasionally even a string quartet.

• Lamb