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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Walking Wounded

Everything But The Girl

1996

Buy At Rough Trade
Walking Wounded
Album Summary

Walking Wounded is the ninth studio album by British musical duo Everything but the Girl. It was released on 6 May 1996 by Atlantic Records in the United States and Virgin Records in Europe. The album saw the group adopting a more electronic and dance-based style, following the success of the remixed version of "Missing" from their previous album, Amplified Heart. Four tracks from the album were released as singles, including the drum and bass-influenced "Walking Wounded" and the house-influenced "Wrong", which became top ten hits on the UK Singles Chart, as well as the downtempo track "Single", which set Tracey Thorn's emotionally direct vocal against breakbeats, organ and strings, and "Before Today".

Wikipedia

Rating

2.96

Votes

12043

Genres

  • Rock
  • Electronica
  • New Wave
  • Pop

Reviews

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Oct 29 2021
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3

Perfect for when you want to feel what it was like to try on jeans at the Gap or Banana Republic in the late '90's.

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Oct 08 2021
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1

Everything but the fucking will to live after listening to this God awful piece of shit. I don't understand how they're on this list twice...at least. I recognised track 2, so good for them. If this was a footballer, itd be Emiliano Sala.

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Apr 14 2021
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4

Tracey Thorn's career is so varied and rich. I was surprised by the subtle, minimal electronica but it works really well. It's a satisfying contrast to her haunting vocals and leaves me feeling some kind of way. I'm really impressed with how such a drastic shift in instrumentation doesn't feel like a lark, but a fully realized vision that's also alive with a sense of discovery. I can hear how this record bridges singer-songwriter and British house music in a way that has influenced a lot of millenial pop music that followed. Favourite song: Before Today

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Jun 25 2021
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3

Back when I was in college, there was this dude who would come into the bar I worked at on a Friday night and play fucking 10 Neil Young songs in a row. He would also hit on girls by doing magic tricks. I remember how angry I got every time he made me listen to an hour of Neil Young because I was just trying to have a good time, and he fucking made me listen to this sad, soppy fuck who writes nothing but songs that sound indistinguishable from each other and never seemed to enjoy a happy moment in his entire like. Fuck that guy, and fuck Neil Young. 2/5

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Feb 05 2021
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4

Never heard it before this but what a great glimpse into a special time in British music. Drum and bass mixed with trip hop and ethereal vocals. Immediately connects bands that I was listening to at the time such as Faithless (Dido's voice is very similar), Portishead, Tricky with this crossover album.

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Apr 19 2021
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4

How lucky am I to have the opportunity to listen to all of this great music and appreciate artists that I may or may not have gotten to know if it was not for this 1001 list. The only number I think that I have heard from this duo is Missing - The Todd Terry remix, which is a classic dance hit in my mind. I like this album and it is very relaxing and for lovers of artists such as Air, Groove Armada or Massive Attack kind of music. If I was playing at Stella Polaris I would definitely play this.

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May 18 2021
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2

not a fan of 'easy listening' type music, I want my music to challenge me, hurt me, surprise me on a walk with a shank in the back etc. what's the point otherwise

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Oct 19 2023
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5

This is why I love this random album generator-I had never heard this all the way through. Tracey’s voice is beautiful, and the music is perfect. Definitely now a favorite album of mine.

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Apr 03 2021
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4

Ok, so a few pages back I said "I also rate EBTG. None of their albums are a total smash, but there's always something interesting happening that I can enjoy". I retract my statement, because upon revisiting, this one is their smash. Within a few years, they'd got from folk, to jazz-pop, to indie rock, to synthpop. Now they slide effortlessly into the downtempo/trip-hop craze. Tracey Thorn had featured on Massive Attack's second album with great results. Cynical people might say they were just changing their sound to chase whatever seemed popular. But the results don't lie, and this album has a great carefully managed electronic palette that doesn't sound cheap and dated like the work of many other "pop turned synth" artists. Thorn's vocals gel so well with that sound. "Mirrorball" is a weak link, and the two remixes included on the original album are doing nothing for me.

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Oct 06 2021
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4

This opens with a stunner, and stays highly engaging. That's something of a surprise given the DnB bones. Perhaps I'm biased against looking at anything from the genre as masterful, because this comes close. I get a lot of the same feelings I got from Jessie Ware's latest (and in that case I 100% have a positive disco bias). There's a gentle ebb and flow, but Thorn's vocals carry the record. Can't say, however, that they would sound as nice over any old beat. The third-act introduction of acoustic instruments is extra poignant: It reinforces the tone of the preceding songs while demonstrating the collaborative nature of the duo's sound. Lingering on that sound instead of turning to remixes would have been it for me.

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Jul 08 2021
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3

EBTG basically pioneered the English downtempo drum and bass sound and everyone but EBTG were influenced by their lounging in the coffee shop style. Although this doesn't have anything as good as their big hit Missing you, the first three songs set the mood nicely. However I found my attention lagging for the rest of the album as the drum and bass in every song started to meld together.

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May 01 2021
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2

“Walking Wounded” by Everything But the Girl (1996) Electronic jazz/pop, chiefly interesting for its innovative and highly contrasting sound textures, but limited by the underwhelming melodies, with their restricted tonal range and and performed with an airy reverb-enhanced voice to match. Heavy emphasis on synthetic drums and bass lines, dynamically stark. Lyrics show moments of cleverness, but seem detached from the music, as if musical compositions and lyrics on each song were two separate projects This is done to an even comic extent on “Good Cop Bad Cop”—really funny, with Thorn lazily complaining about her bad feelings while Watt is making little fart sounds on his gizmo, assisted by his favorite speedy snare roll thing. I laughed my butt off. Some electronic sounds are used rather frequently, as if Watt needs a bigger bag of tricks. Not unpleasant to listen to, but nothing profound here. I bet it sold well in Japan. 2/5

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Feb 02 2024
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1

Well, you've managed to surprise me once again with how terrible this band is. I had almost forgotten. I have no idea how they managed to get on this list, let alone twice. I feel like we're all being punk'd. Please, for the love of god, do not let them be on here a third time.

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Mar 21 2021
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5

Surprise album that I really enjoyed

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Oct 28 2020
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4

Amazing record. Massively influential. It’s a proper night time-driving album.

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Sep 30 2020
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4

29/10/2020 Listened in block room - talking to Jake Really enjoyed this album, way more than I thought I would. Early DnB influences mixed with vocals. Song repeatedly singing "are you happy being single?" attacked me personally. Almost a 5 but not quite.

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Apr 29 2021
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4

Wow, this was a really nice change of pace! Very cool ‘90s music, the vocals reminded me a bit of Natalie Merchant, the overall sound reminded me of Massive Attack. Really dug this, very chill all the way through. Favorite tracks: Before Today, Single, Walking Wounded, Flipside, Mirror Ball. Album art: The picture is pretty simple, but the text elevates it significantly, especially the Japanese characters. I was expecting some kind of vaporwave type project based on the cover, and honestly it’s not too far off. 4/5

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Jul 08 2021
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4

A very elegant album. I had their first (US) release from ’84 and while I liked the acoustic & jazzy feel, I think they were smart to move to this down-tempo, D&B sound which as all the rage in 95. The singles are good, the lyrics are bleak and I like the cover. It fades a bit after Walking Wounded and after two listens, I would have given 3 stars, but somehow, I managed to listen to the opening 6 tracks a third time.

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Oct 15 2021
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4

Coffee table drum & bass with smooth female vocals over the top - what's not to like? I only really know that "Missing" song from EBTG, so this was surprisingly trip-hoppy. I really enjoyed it! Fave track - the title track I think. "Single" was also great.

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Oct 21 2021
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4

I think above average in general. Some of it reminded me of ape escape for some reason, which is never a bad thing.

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Sep 13 2021
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3

Listenable 90s English techno with a nice vocal. Simple arrangements, lovely chord progressions, beats very much of that era. Tracey Thorn's voice here is as rich and lovely as ever. I don't think this phase of EBTG's career really touches the more jazz-pop stuff they made back in the 80s, which now seems a lot less dated than the techno. This album was pleasant enough to listen to, but overall unremarkable. Fave Songs: Wrong, Before Today, Walking Wounded

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Dec 10 2021
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2

This was fine "easy listening chill out" music, but I was just really bored. Someone else's review said that now they know what it was like to try on jeans at banana republic or gap in the 90s and that's TOTALLY the vibe. Not my cup of tea and the first song I really enjoyed was the one that autoplayed AFTER the album was over. Not a good sign.

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Aug 02 2024
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2

You can date this almost to the minute by the omnipresent mild drum'n'bass backing. Very pleasant, with all the negative connotations that invokes. Tracey Thorn rarely gets the material she deserves, although she does usually write some of it so is hardly blameless..

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Aug 02 2024
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2

This week’s main theme has been flawed records with strong female vocalists. Everything But The Girl present the beigewave entry, maybe on a par with Sade, but not as good as Chic. There’s a better fey record hiding in here, I reckon. I’ll save my lecture about the gentrification of jungle’s breakbeat innovations for an album I know is coming up, but leave here my prototype conclusion on that record: this takes one of the most energetic forms of the nineties and turns it into jogging music. Including remixes of tracks already on the album seems weak - “maybe you’ll like this version” - and at a stretch I’d say maybe Neil Young’s bookending “Tonight’s the Night” versions could count as exceptions. The different versions of “Wrong” and “Walking Wounded” on here are not.

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Aug 30 2024
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2

Impatiently Waiting For Your Mom To Finish Shopping At Boscov’s In 1999: The Soundtrack

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Oct 31 2022
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1

I can't tell the first four songs apart - everything here blends into a hell march of mid-tempo sludge with random blips and bleeps supporting vocals from the over-earnest folkie girl at an open mic night. Moody is fine. Atmospheric is fine. Painfully dull and indistinguishable is not.

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Nov 30 2023
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1

Sounded like very generic and bland electronica. It was fine as background but as soon as I paid attention to the music I was extrememly bored. The biggest question I'm left with is, how do these guys have two albums on the list!?

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Mar 17 2021
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5

Suena noventero y supermoderno a la vez. Avantpop y trip hop revolucionado, casi house en ocasiones. Para volver a él en cualquier momento, pega con todo y da muy buen rollo siempre.

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Apr 29 2021
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5

contains everything but what was advertised, subpar shit tbh. 10/10

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Nov 09 2022
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5

I enjoy this quite a bit, I could really imagine vibing to this on a rainy drive.

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Dec 30 2022
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5

Aw hell yeah. I love Everything But The Girl and just a few months ago they announced a new album (maybe tour??). I love trip hop and EBTG is one of the first bands that introduced me to the genre.

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Feb 03 2023
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5

Yes! This was the first Everything But The Girl album I ever listened to and I still absolutely love it through and through. I don't even recall why I chose to play it in the back at work back in my HMV days, but on a whim I did and I've been glad ever since. Extra nice to have this one come up now as their latest single was by far my most listened-to song of January, and I still can't get enough. The opening trio of songs wins me over and draws me right in. "Wrong" and "Single" are probably my two favourite songs on the album. The only stumble for me is "The Heart Remains a Child" - I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. Makes the album more of a 4.5 for me than an outright 5.

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Mar 05 2023
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5

I DID NOT EXPECT THIS TO BE SO GOOD???

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Jul 22 2023
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5

9/10 I can’t decide if I like this more or less than Idlewild they’re both so great but in really different ways

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Nov 15 2023
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5

Loving it right off the bat... great beat, her voice is butter....I'm totally in Love ❤️ and, I still am at the end, I'm so excited I found them !

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Feb 04 2024
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5

Was already somewhat familiar with this dudes from a song on Eden (I Must Confess) which appeared on my discover weekly at least 5 or 6 years ago and ended up in my Jangle playlist. Had no idea that album was all the way from 1984. Anyway, I'm glad I had that point of comparison because this album that came 10 years later demonstrates some serious range and ability to adapt - Walking Wounded sounds so so different but equally as good. This is like a full on triphop masterclass. Beautiful production, heartfelt writing. Very tidy stuff.

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Mar 22 2024
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5

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

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Apr 05 2024
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5

High-end dance club music, very sultry.

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Apr 08 2024
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5

This is so my thing and I liked it a lot!

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Apr 26 2024
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5

After weeks upon weeks of banal and trite classic rock per usual, and the occasional "one-hit-wonder's arbitrarily chosen album" on this list, this album was such a breath of fresh air. Every song on here feels richly produced, wonderfully sung and performed, and feels like an early precursor of the future deeper house and darker electronic music to come since this album's release. Thoroughly enjoyed every song here and I'm glad I did. I was so tired of giving out scores of "1" and "2' on this site week after week that I was getting close to abandoning this list entirely. Glad to see there are some good, lesser-played albums hiding on here instead of the typical "Beatles / Radiohead / (Insert classic rock band here)" which have already been praised to death

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Jun 28 2024
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5

chill vocals over a the mid-90s precursor of break beats, liquid dnb, and house elements with glitch elements mixed in make this an easy listening album and perfect vibe for the workday.

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Jul 12 2024
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5

I've never heard of this band or album before, but I'm very intrigued based on the description of the album. Oh, I really like this first song, "Before Today." What a great, chill sound. I love the beats, and those vocals are fantastic. "Wrong" is really great too, for all the same reasons. That voice sounds familiar though. This reminds me of The XX, maybe that's it? No, I've heard this voice before. Oh wait, do these people sing that 'I miss you, like the deserts miss the rain' song? Oh wow, I had no idea that was them. I haven't heard that in a long time. I always thought it was kind of boring when it first came out, but I dig it now. Who did I think sang that? Some sort of Paula Cole or Sophie B. Hawkins type? I digress... I a had great time listening to this album. The overall sound is really enjoyable, and in addition to the overall sound, there are plenty of wonderful little details too take in as well. There's definitely a mood that permeates the whole album, but I never felt like things were repetitive or boring. The musical arrangements were fantastic, and I loved how EBtG put their own stamp on the trip hop sound. The vocals were great as well, and Tracey Thorn will now be on my mind when I think of vocalists that I really like. This was a great discovery, and another reminder of how much fun it is to go through all of these albums.

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Jul 15 2024
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5

Very beautiful. The instrument combination, production and mixing is expert and entrancing.

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Jul 18 2024
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5

WALKING WOUNDED EVERYTHING BY THE GIRL This was the Ear Candy of the 1990s. Sounds as direct, moving and sensually erotic as it was then. Do Listen to their earlier stuff to understand how this is amped up and repackaging of the earlier ‘acoustic’ and raw recording style. Earlier EBTG remains, for me, some of the sexiest sumptuous music there was. Sunday morning music that would make you grab your lover and gently sway and dance them back to bed. Her gorgeous vulnerable, wonderfully pure, and soothing voice and their original feeling lounge-but-not-lounge bossa-nova infused vibes are the thing. And this techno version of the is just a pop-translation that got chart success. I'm not judging... I liked it too.. Back then, all up-to-date people of good taste had the (previous) “Amplified Heart” album. The cultivated chill out set. “Missing” was the name of the sexiest and most propulsive track - it was all about YEARNING. Some fortunate and hard working genius bastard hit the magic formula with a remix of MISSING and the result is massive chart success and this album.... As they confess in the final collection of remixes, it was time to “adapt or die”..maybe they were told. I don't know the story. I do see how their acoustic sound risked slipping to oblivion after having a minor moment, after working at it for decades. But I remember for a few wonderful years, this music was at all the summertime parties and we felt good, and groovy and sexy when we heard it. So happy to rediscover them here. So yeah, I'm so grateful and happy they're here to represent in this list all that was right and bright from that era - a shining musical moment in the world. It was ear candy. And great love making music. True. And the success of on acoustic pair who did beautiful art together. Go listen to their early stuff. In pairs. OMG YES. sigh.

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Aug 15 2024
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5

I feel every second of this album. Mesmerizing!

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Aug 28 2024
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5

best make-out album in the list so far!

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Sep 26 2024
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5

Really great album - production, composition, vocals, and lyrics are all very well done. I've heard this album a bunch of times already, it seemed like everyone had this CD at one point, but I still enjoy the whole thing. 5/5

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Oct 02 2024
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5

Beautifully put together. Maybe my nostalgia is giving this five stars rather than its actual musical merit.

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Oct 02 2024
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5

This is a great, atmospheric album. The superb vocals runs smoothly and pleasantly like a river and are complemented by the minimalistic snappy electronic accompaniment. Yes it's very same-ish but in a good way - you could almost see this as one very long, great song. So it works great as a genuine "album" and I'll happily listen to this many times again. I like the smooth trip-hop sound.

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Sep 08 2020
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4

Very chill and easy to listen to

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Oct 08 2020
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4

Actually dug it a lot. Good beats and mood, nice to chill to. Give it a re-listen someday to favorite some songs.

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Apr 12 2021
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4

Good for late night or a rainy day.

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May 03 2021
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4

Solid 90s female vocal techno/house.

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Apr 29 2021
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4

I really enjoyed this album. Was not expecting it to be as synthy as it was but I liked that. Reminded me of some other bands currently so almost a timeless sound. My favorites were Before Today and Wrong. Interesting album cover. I'm assuming it's the lady who sings the songs but the band would indicate no women were involved so there is a paradox.

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Feb 03 2021
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4

Remember my cousin listening back to this in like 2001... I was never big into DnB but this album is so sweet, it's like a mix of the chillest Aphex Twin beats or Shinichiro Yokata with some soft singing Annie Lennox. Fucking rules. And holds up.

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Mar 07 2021
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4

This was a slapper, really enjoyed it. great beats and tone

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Apr 28 2021
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4

Super fresh sounding when released, little bit of drum n bass bandwagoning but still a top drawer album

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Apr 14 2021
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4

The combo of the rhythm and Tracey Thorn's voice via a pop record is pretty magical. Some great songs here, I look forward digging into this more after consuming the limited Marine Girls material. Fav songs: Big Deal, Before Today and Single.

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May 14 2021
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4

90's Techno vibes in this British album. Downtempo and chill pop music that feels like it should be played at the end of a long night out. Glad I discovered this album!

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May 30 2021
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4

I really enjoyed this album, I should start using the notes because I can never remember what to say

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Jun 08 2021
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4

Hard to pick favs because they're all pretty similar. // Favs: Flipside / Big Deal Score: Decent 4

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May 14 2021
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4

Great vibes and easy listening but didn’t feel moved

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May 30 2021
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4

Vocals like Cher, but better music in the background. Actually really enjoyed this, good music to work to.

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Jun 01 2021
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4

Some chill groovin so far. Definitely a breakup album, melancholy not angry.

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Aug 14 2021
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4

Really enjoyed this album. I was familiar with the singles so it was cool to go through and listen to the less popular songs. Love the balanced use of acoustic and electronic instruments. A great album to listen to with headphones… when all else fails, just concentrate on the haunting melodies and lyrics. A great find!

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Aug 16 2021
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4

Nice easy listening, good for background, lounge music. Some great lyrics

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Aug 27 2021
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4

Very easy listen with atmospheric vocals and instrumentation. Great for a listen with the lights off or on a night drive. Relaxing in the best way

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Sep 06 2021
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4

Good album with some great tracks

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Sep 22 2021
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4

Любопытные ребята, мб пробегусь еще по их дискографии.

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Sep 27 2021
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4

Slightly generous 4 maybe, but I like how this seems to naturally fuse pop with 90s electronic music. Very of its time, but feels authentic

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Oct 21 2021
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4

Really liked this. She has a great voice.

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Dec 08 2021
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4

Damn this is not what I expected at all. This is awesome. I really wish I'd listened to all of it before. Concrete high 4.

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Dec 10 2021
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4

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Hanging tree,

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Jan 24 2022
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4

It's easy to see the artists that were influenced by this sound over the years.

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Jan 26 2022
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4

This is a really nice listen. Played is several times while working today and it seemed ideal for keeping the stress levels down and productivity up. The smooth songs kept making me think of Sade with a dance vibe. Really chilly 90s music that I’ll be happy to hear again.

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Jan 26 2022
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4

I really enjoy the Everything But The Girl tracks that I already know, and always intended to expand my library...so glad that 1001 compelled me to do that today. This album's tracks have that electronic, dance style is what I know (and like) from EBTG. So, I enjoyed the groove throughout the day.

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Jan 26 2022
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4

I've always loved the song "Missing," but I never dug deeper into Everything But the Girl. I should have. I love Tracey Thorn's voice and I love the music with her voice. I would have played this a lot.

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Apr 24 2022
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4

Love the woman's voice, and the playoff between that and the beats is fantastic.

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May 04 2022
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4

I hadn't listened to EBTG much before and was pleasantly surprised. I loved the electronic production of this album, and it caused me to dive back into some of my 90's drum-and-bass favorites. It has a good range of sounds but nothing that really jumped out at me as a must-repeat-listen track.

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May 25 2022
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4

Vanmetið band. Gott flæði í plötunni, vel áhlustanleg.

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