Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Smooth, calm, downtempo. The interplay of beats and a gorgeous voice, a sense of yearning, is lovely. This is platonic ideal of this genre for me, alongside Air, Groove Armada or Massive Attack. The electronic version to sade
Increible
trip hop meets women of the 90s.
I forget how good this album is from start to finish. No skips, sounds like a greatest hits album. Two of my favorite songs of all time.
Really, thoroughly enjoyed this. Definitely going into the regular rotation!
My favorite album so far
These guys are amazing. Plus still together!!
A 90’s classic.
**Everything But The Girl – *Walking Wounded* (1996)** In-depth review – lyrics, music, production, themes, influence, pros & cons --- ### 1. **Lyrics – Diary of a Relationship in Flux** Tracey Thorn wrote after Ben Watt had finished the backing tracks, so every vocal is a *reaction* to, not a driver of, the groove. The words are almost embarrassingly intimate: late-night answer-phone messages, arguments that never quite happen, the maths of desire when you’re no longer sure who is adding it up. - **“Before Today”** – the shock of discovering a partner’s affair through “something that I read / a note left in your pocket.” - **“Single”** – samples Tim Buckley’s *Song to the Siren* while Thorn narrates the moment you realise love has become a monologue: “I’m single again, but I don’t advertise.” - **“Good Cop Bad Cop”** – internal interrogation: “To want and want and never have / I know it’s wrong, I know it’s bad.” - **“Wrong”** – the album’s most quoted line: “I wanted you to be the one / the story I could tell the grandchildren.” The house-piano riff makes the disappointment danceable. The language is plain, almost spoken; the sting comes from how accurately it maps the *delay* between feeling and articulation that defines adult heartbreak . --- ### 2. **Music – Pop that Learnt to Code in 1996** Watt builds every track around the new British dance micro-genres of the moment – jungle, drum-’n’-bass, trip-hop, speed-garage – but squeezes them into classic verse-chorus structures. Tempos range from 84 BPM (“Single”) to 160 BPM (title track), yet the record feels like one long exhale. - **“Before Today”** – chopped Amen break slowed to a crawl, sub-bass that sighs rather than growls. - **“Walking Wounded”** – Roni-size style rolling bassline, but the chorus is a four-chord sigh that could have come from Bacharach. - **“Mirrorball”** – the only acoustic moment; nylon-string guitar and brushed drums, a reminder of their early jazz-folk records, placed exactly where side two needs oxygen. The sonic signature is *space*. Watt leaves 200-400 Hz almost empty so Thorn’s voice can sit inside the track rather than on top of it; hi-hats are filtered until they feel like fluorescent light flickering in an empty kitchen at 3 a.m. . --- ### 3. **Production – Bedroom Auteur with a Sampler** Gear list (Watt in interviews): Akai S3000, Roland JV-1080, Novation SuperNova, Cubase on a 66 MHz Mac. Most drum loops are *re-bounced*: Watt records a two-bar jungle loop, then re-amplifies it through a cheap practice amp to remove hi-fi sheen. Vocals recorded on a £300 AKG C414 hung over the staircase of their North London terraced house; you can sometimes hear the automatic night-switch of the refrigerator if you stem the album . The master is *loud* for 1996 (RMS ‑9 dB), but dynamic range survives because bass is side-chained against the vocal – a trick rare then, routine now. --- ### 4. **Themes – The Politics of Staying Together** EBTG had always been left-wing (Red Wedge, anti-Falklands war benefit gigs), but here the politics go inward: how do you keep a long-term relationship alive when capitalism keeps selling you exit strategies? The album’s title is military slang for the emotionally injured who can still march; the cover art – a blurred CCTV still of a couple embracing – suggests surveillance, not romance. Thorn later wrote in *Bedsit Disco Queen*: “We were asking, is love just another consumer choice now? And if so, how do we refuse to shop?” --- ### 5. **Influence – The Bridge from Club to Charts** - First platinum-selling drum-’n’-bass album (1.3 million) . - Cleared the path for Madonna’s *Ray of Light*, Moby’s *Play*, and every coffee-table trip-hop compilation that followed. - Roni Size, Goldie and LTJ Bukem all name-check it as proof that jungle *could* hold a chorus. - Todd Terry’s remix of “Wrong” becomes template for “missing-you” house anthems still rinsed at Defected nights. - Indie kids realised electronic music could be intimate; dance kids realised lyrics could hurt. --- ### 6. **Pros & Cons – 28 Years Later** | **Pros** | **Cons** | |---|---| | 1. Still the most *melodic* entry-point to drum-’n’-bass ever recorded. | 1. Only nine songs (eleven if you count the two remixes); feels like an EP if you came from *Amplified Heart*. | | 2. Thorn’s voice – a warm contralto that makes 160 BPM feel like a lullaby. | 2. String-machine pads on “Good Cop Bad Cop” and title track now scream *1996*. | | 3. Lyric sheet doubles as a therapy worksheet; zero clichés. | 3. “Mirrorball” and “Flipside” slow the momentum – pretty but detachable. | | 4. Production tricks (side-chain, reverse reverbs, filtered breaks) became standard, yet still sound *inventive* because the songs are strong. | 4. If you *hate* jungle breakbeats, half the record will irritate you. | | 5. No filler; every track was a single or remix-single. | 5. The Todd Terry remix of “Wrong” adds little; feels like contractual obligation. | --- ### **Verdict** *Walking Wounded* is the rare genre-fusion record where the *emotional* content would work a cappella and the *beats* would work instrumental. That they happen simultaneously, without ever sounding like a committee project, is still a minor miracle. Play it once for nostalgia, play it twice and you realise the arguments it documents haven’t dated at all – we’re all still walking wounded, just with better phones.
Love Tracey, vibey, into my rotation you go
This album just wouldn't stop impressing me. Beautiful drum n bass usage, the combination with Tracy Thorn's vocals and lyrics are sublime. Also, each line is hitting doubly hard tonight for some reason, just making this whole experience better. Many sounds on here that made me involitarily roll my behind my head, in a good way if that's not clear. Didn't much care for this too much on the first 2 listens, but this third time everything finally hit for me and I was in music heaven. What a superb album
10/10
I saw these live for the first time when they were touring Eden, their first album, and have bought everything of there’s since! Simply superb. Tracey has the voice of an angel and a face like a bag of spanners! Guess you can’t have everything.
Electronic beats with chill cool female vocals. In the style of Morcheba.5/5
A huge turn from previous EBTG albums I’ve heard in the absolute best way. The music was energetic but balanced by the even keel vocals. Loved it.
4+ but rating it 5 to drag the average up. Average rating under 3?! Come on guys. Some reviewers must be dead behind the ears.
4.5 but had to round up Picture this: playing minecraft uno at a very dim lit cocktail bar and feeling a huge sense of community and friendship
i enjoyed very much :)
This is so nice and calming to listen to, while still having a good beat.
I love this album, my parents played it all the time growing up. Huge huge fan
This album takes me to another place & time. “Walking Wounded” is such a wonderful song. I may like it more than “Missing” overall. Tracey Thorn’s voice is 100. “Wrong” is another great one. Gotta balance some of these albums out on this list for the bad ones.
wow kinda of a vibe
Bellissimo album. Un mix di elettronica, dnb, triphop, e poi lei ha una voce incredibile. La combo col tempo piovoso è assurda
Fucking fantastic. Every song is so chill and laid-back, but with a hint of energetic soul to it as well.
I really liked this. It's relaxed but not downcast. Fun beats. Like a predecessor to current whisper singing
Smashing album, a great blend of dance and chill
Crackers
Fyf, ante ikke at denne var en del av 1001 album. Hørte helt tilfeldig en remix av av Wrong på en ellers kjip Radisson skybar i Riga i dag (satt på en ganske nice lokal bar da jeg fant ut at dette var dagens album, som vil være i går når dette postes. Jeg snakket også med en kollega som hittil har vært fremmed om Jung i dag, så jeg vil påstå at dette var et eksempel på synchronicity). Before Today og Wrong er helt perfekte låter. De stiller i samme klasse som Everybody Wants to Rule the World. Oversett duo som gjorde sitt for downtempo, britisk club music. Helt herlig. Den kan måle seg med legendariske skiver som Mezzanine og Endtroducing…., og for de som kjenner min smak, så er det noen av de største lovprisninger jeg kan gi. Jeg hadde egentlig tenkt å kun skrive fra minnet, men å høre skiva på et overpriset hotell har om mulig perfeksjonert viben denne skiva gir. Fordi den aldri helt når den perfeksjonen som de introduserende låtene setter, tenkte jeg at dette var en solid 4/5. Nå vil jeg derimot si at dette er perfekt, den gjør akkurat det den setter ut for å gjøre. Det er en skive om å være på tour, å leve et liv av glitz og glamour, men med den nøkterne vitenen om at det ikke monner ut i noe i seg selv. Coveret er helt perfekt: i baksetet i en taxi (eller limo) på vei til byen. Man sparer ikke på kostnadene, men lever i nuet, velger å engasjere seg i en livsstil som ellers er fremmed for meg. Om jeg ikke hadde visst om denne skiva fra før av, ville jeg sagt at dette er grunnen til at dette prosjektet er verdt det. Til dere som ikke har hørt den fra før, håper jeg at det er akkurat det dere tenker. De som ikke har hørt Temperamental, burde sjekke ut den skiva også. Den har ikke like mange umiddelbare bangers, men er kanskje enda mer consistent enn denne.
It may be cynical, but I don't see any other way it can be... after a wildly successful cameo with Massive Attack and a phenomenal success of a Todd Terry remix, there had to have been a commercial reasoning behind making an electronic album. Everything But The Girl was a better than average Sophistipop group with a great singer in Thorn. To take their melodies and fuse them with Drum N Bass, Trip Hop and Techno beats could not have been the easiest thing and yet it works, very well and elevated the group even farther.
That was a glorious listen, thank you.
I love everything but the girl. Idyllwild is one of my fav albums ever. I like this a lot less, the electronicy sound Is fine but like meh. Still enjoyed tho
01) Before Today - 8,5 02) Wrong - 10,0 03) Single - 10,0 04) The Heart Remains a Child - 8,5 05) Walking Wounded - 10,0 06) Flipside - 8,5 07) Big Deal - 8,5 08) Mirrorball - 8,5 09) Good Cop Bad Cop - 8,0 10) Wrong (Todd Terry remix) - 10,0 11) Walking Wounded (Omni Trio remix) - 8,0 TOTAL: 8,95 (90/100) Current ranking: 66/631
I loveeee
Wow, this one really surprised me. Never been an electronica/techno/edm guy. But this comes from an almost jazz/pop background, and the songwriting is totally what I'm into. Vocals are on point. Production is strong. Gonna definitely come back to this one. 5, just narrowly. Has some songwriting similarities with some of my favorite songs from later artists. Gonna definitely explore more of them. 1=Crap that shouldn't be here 2=I didn't like it but get why it's here 3=I thought it was ok or even like it, get why it's here, but won't revisit 4=I like it, will revisit 5=This is some of the best music I've ever heard and will continue listening to it
Loved it, I’m finding more interest in electronic music as this challenge goes on. Love the low key vocals, drum beats and all, lot of the songs are really catchy. I want to add this to my regular listening.
I listened to this album a month or two ago as an aside to this project, not suspecting that it would show up here. I’ve had it in regular rotation and it’s definitely one of my favorite discoveries of the year. I love the chill mid-90’s beats beneath Tracey Thorn’s disaffected voice. This record perfectly captures the zeitgeist of the time period in sound and vibes. More of this please!!
I really gelled with this. I thought this was really trancey and ethereal without being overly produced.
Love this band. Been a fan from the off. Musically crisp and sophisticated. The vocals are superb. Just love the sound they produce. Brilliant
Really enjoyable
incredible
29 years late to the party 🥳 Straight through listen great record, beautiful vocals, one of the few times (outside of Radiohead) that a drum machine has brought anything to the 🎉 Polymath
Desert island album for me, so emotional and so raw
When you hear an album you've heard BUT NEVER KNEW WHO IT WAS BY!? It's so influential, I've heard this sound in so many things, unsurprising they are British lol. Downtempo vibes with that early DnB seasoning, Tracey's voice is so gorgeous. Loved the different melodies, the songwriting and the mixing. Ugh, this is just such a groovy, chill vibe. I imagine myself dressed in white in a 'creatives' house somrwhere in Notting Hill at the tail end of the 20th century. I'm very happy this graced me :) FAVES: Before Today Wrong (this is the song I heard!) Single Flipside Big Deal Good Cop Bad Cop (and this!)
Fun! It leans into background music territory, as it doesn't seem to make any statement that I could pick up, but this stuff is right up my alley. No particular favorites, but I'm looking forward to revisiting and exploring more from them!
This made my little 90s heart so happy.
Fantastic EBTG
It's so strange to me that "Missing" is, well, missing from this list. Now, I understand all of the angles for why the song and the album isn't here. I doubt any album here is included for a single song and nothing else, for one. Then there's how I've heard from a fan that the album it's on (AMPLIFIED HEARTS) isn't very good (and I don't feel like fact checking)... And both of those are ignoring the fact that the version of "Missing" that got famous isn't even on that album to begin with. I suppose all of this is just the curse of Everything But The Girl being a one hit wonder in my eyes... But just as well, when it comes to this album, I don't think "Missing" being (different word) absent is nothing. After all, if I wasn't aware of the arc of their career, I absolutely would not have been able to recognize this as being by the same duo who recorded IDLEWILD. Jeez, you get one fluke hit from one of your songs getting a dance remix... Right? Although the thing is, while I might chuckle a little at this sudden swerve in sound — from high-class sophisti-pop to breakbeats and string synths — I'm not actually against it? In fact, I'm all for it, 'coz I like this **way** better than I did IDLEWILD. I mean, I didn't think it was bad, but that album felt way too high class for me. The only people I could really picture enjoying it, full 5 outta 5, were snobs with stuck-up tastes. Meanwhile, with this album... Well, it's just as I predicted: I did need a dance beat to keep myself engaged. Tracey's voice is just so perfect over these instrumentals. It's like... I don't wanna keep referring back to IDLEWILD, 'coz I'd wanna consider this album on its own, but dang it, IDLEWILD was way too chill for its own good, and Tracey's voice couldn't do much of anything to elevate the material. Compare it with what's going on here, where they work so well in tandem that it'd honestly surprise me to find out they weren't always an electronic duo if I didn't already know. Like, "What do you mean this is their **ninth** album? It really took them **that long**? And this was their **second to last** before going on a decades-long hiatus?" Gawd, it's a shame they didn't do more of this, I swear... And I'll say this, too: this is infinitely better than MAXINQUAYE. Like, I'm not 100% how applicable bringing up that album is since I literally cannot remember how it sounds, but in regards to the trip hop led by female vocals I've heard, this clears whatever the hell Tricky was doing and then some. Goodness, I like this a hell of a lot more than basically every other trip hop and drum n' bass album we've gotten (including maybe even DUMMY). Gawd, all the shout outs to Ben Watts and the other producers. Good, good shit. Y'know, despite how I ended up feeling about this album, I actually had my doubts about it. With my past experience with trip hop, drum n' bass, and Everything But The Girl, I was expecting an excruciating forty-some minutes. At best, it'd maybe be something I could talk up to a 3 like I did IDLEWILD... But no, no. Screw it. This is a 5. I liked it that much. In fact, I'll prove it to you by saying this: I was considering listening to the two remixes stapled on to the end. And that's something I don't do for any album other than, like, The Flaming Lips' THE SOFT BULLETIN. Believe me, that's an endorsement coming from my fingertips. And if you don't believe me, well... I'unno what to tell you. I've said basically everything I can — everything but the convincing part, anyway, I guess.
divine, riveting, my new obsession
Surprisingly good. Really enjoyed the vibe to this one and would happily listen to it again! Wrong is a great song!
🫨🫨🫨
Dreamy, blissed-out trip hop from Hull in the 90s. A genuinely beautiful album that I'll definitely be returning to!
Really relaxing and mellow album. The vocals are great, and so is the production of this album.
Gorgeous. The downtempo beats and her sultry voice perfectly capture a vibe. I'm honestly kicking myself for not listening to them more already.
Stunning album. Their most perfect after Temperamental
Then went on a massive ‘let’s listen to everything by Everything but the Girl’ trip. Very interesting discography.
Easily dismissed as shopping music, but really is very good music in a style that got overdone quickly. EBTG is not so easily dismissed as the acts that fit into similar categories, and that's true for the whole breadth of their career, as their sound evolved and changed. Better than most coffee shop drum 'n' bass and quite a good album. In my opinion, the best one of theirs I've heard.
Really enjoyable - a band sometimes maybe thought of for one track, but there's more to discover here.
Devastatingly smooth. Achingly longing, but oh so exquisitely beautiful. Such a pristine work of art.
It was so fucking good. I thought it would feel old and all but it felt so modern. And it was so excellent and Nice to listen to
Great album
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.
Beautifully put together. Maybe my nostalgia is giving this five stars rather than its actual musical merit.
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
I think liking this album brought me closer to my dad, 5 stars
AWESOME!
best make-out album in the list so far!
I feel every second of this album. Mesmerizing!
Стильно
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.
Very beautiful. The instrument combination, production and mixing is expert and entrancing.
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.
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.
Очень приятная электронная музыка. Женский вокал лёгкий, непринуждённый. Как альбом звучит вкусно, впечатление общее хорошее оставляет.
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
This is so my thing and I liked it a lot!
High-end dance club music, very sultry.
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
One of the best albums so far
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.
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 !
A fave
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
I DID NOT EXPECT THIS TO BE SO GOOD???
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.
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.
Smoooth
I enjoy this quite a bit, I could really imagine vibing to this on a rainy drive.
Love it!
super chill easy listening
Need this for next break up
contains everything but what was advertised, subpar shit tbh. 10/10
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.
Heard of the group but had never heard their music. It was a nice, chill album for my morning drive. Liked it a lot - just about every track was decent.
Heel nice. Hele gevarieerde invloeden en uitkomsten. Zou er niet echt een genre op kunnen plakken. Klinkt ook nog steeds fris
If Sarah McLachlan decided to put her songs to the beats that would play between shows on Toonami. That being said I liked it was more than I expected right away.
Nice for background music
Це гурт чомусь повністю пройшов повз мене, хоча назва ж звісно на слуху. Тож це перше знайомство з Everything But The Girl. Мені подобається така танцювальна холодна урбаністична музика. Дуже приємний вокал. Місцями це все майже тріп-хоп нагадує. Коротше я б сказав що Walking Wounded це хороший осінній реліз для прогулянок містом. Між 3.5 і 4.
i mean a lot, i mean a little. i understand all of the criticism here, but hell, if i don’t love this album. i want to listen to it through wired headphones while on public transportation in the late 90s, wearing giant jeans and hair clips, or something. tracey’s voice is gorgeous and the trip-hop instrumentals, while repetitive, feel airy and fresh to me. you can hear where the xx dug up some roots and planted their offshoots ten years later.
Fantastic album
Rustig, aangenaam
Pleasantly surprised!
This album was brilliant. Their singles were always good but I never spent real time with their albums and this one hit just right.
It's not fair to give me these albums, because I am just going to eat them up every time. I love my chill-as-hell downtempo beats.
Solid album. Kind of 90’s indie mixed with drum/rhythm music. Familiar sounding and of that time. It’s good. It’s a little downbeat for me I think on the whole. 3.5 but good enough to up vote here.
really liked this. I had never heard of this group but I really enjoyed it have listened to it several times now
Can be some good background music. Good drum and baseline.
The perfect mix of drum and bass/house music and silky smooth vocals. I was vibing out to this one and enjoyed it the whole way through.
Is this drum and bass? Whatever it is, I like it. Super mellow, but also interesting. Easy to throw on the background at anytime.
Pretty solid, good vibes album
Sade?
Had a good time with this one. Very chill, super nice sound and rhythm.
I think this album put me in a daze, but a nice sorta daze. I really can't remember a specific part or track that I especially liked, the whole package was just a great experience.
Walking Wounded earns a confident 4 out of 5 stars for its sleek, emotionally charged blend of trip‑hop and electronic pop. Everything but the Girl pivoted sharply from their earlier acoustic sound, and the gamble paid off: the album’s glossy electronic production gives Tracey Thorn’s voice a cool, nocturnal glow while Ben Watt’s arrangements pulse with understated sophistication. Tracks like the title song and “Wrong” show how well the duo embraced club‑influenced textures without losing their melodic core. A significant influence on The XX.
I did not like it at first, but then I got in a mellow state of mind and felt good
Well, that's pretty unusual. Early electronic music—I was actually pleasantly surprised to hear some jungle D'n'B in the middle of the album. Not bad at all
I swear this isn't a knock - most of this album sounds like modern shopping mall BGM. But that's right in my wheelhouse. I'd totally play this while hanging out on the porch, for example. I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would, especially when I found out this album *didn't* have the only EbtG song I could name off the top of my head. A solid 4.
I liked this one a lot. I'm going to dive deeper into their discography. Another new find for this project. I'm glad.
this rules
Really nice on a Monday morning
I really enjoyed the mellow groove and sound…reminded me a little of Sade from the 80’s…
I will listen to anything Tracey Thorn sings on. Can't believe EBTG is on the list twice and Amplified Heart didn't make the cut.
This was very chill and overall a great listen. Very easy listening and calming experience. Great vocals as well, very fitting with the whole vibe of the record. I really liked it a lot. It's like trip hop mixed with drum and bass.
ok
I really didn't mind this one... by my usual standards, I probably should've been bored at some point, but instead it just played as background groove to my day and I didn't mind that one bit. Not the most exciting or interesting album, but perfectly serviceable.
Me gustó, un álbum para sentirme tranquila, ir en auto y desconectarme
Have always been aware but not had the chance of a full album. Thought these were always on the fringe pop side of electronic and the trip hop scene that was around at the time. However rated this, really cool, the beats and production quality and Tracy’s vocals. 4.4/5
nice, a little too backround for me. i wouldnt give it 3 stars, but 2 feels too harsh something i could enjoy at parts, like single and what came after walking wounded (big deal ec.) Edit: wow this is how harsh I was at the start? (this was just the 15th album). Thing is I listened more to this duo and grown to love them. Even found a top song ever in my list but sadly its not here
very underrated trip hop album!! have listened to already, tracy thorn is a great vocalist as well.
Walking smiling at everything but the girl.
Really enjoyed this. I love some chill d&b though
Great album! Very chill with such cool beats.
I remember being quite ambivalent on this when I last listened, but I enjoyed this way more than I was anticipating upon return. Maybe I was just in a foul mood originally. Whilst I think it’s a travesty that Mezzanine isn’t on here but EBTG get two albums, I find most of the other user reviews on here being quite harsh on balance. Critics, both professional and non, generally seem to struggle with having anything nice to say about any music even tangentially dance related. I’d probably put this at a 3.5 if I could, but I’m giving it a 4 to both be a bit more positive and to counter out the lazier thoughtless reviews.
solid 4
Concept itself is nice, although really repetitive.
Smooth pop with some jazz vibes isn't something I usually listen to but this was a great album to start with. The floor on the individual songs is really high so while none stood out to me the album as a whole was really great. Really good music to have on while doing other stuff around the house or just reading.
Интересно, но пролетел на зацепившись.
Ooooo one I really like! Not familiar with their electronic stuff much before today, but I was having a right groovy old time here. Love the juxtaposition of electronic music and Tracey Thorn's voice, creates a chill but still boppy vibe.
Soy muy fan de Ben Watt desde antes de fundar la banda con Tracey Thorn. Muy interesante el tránsito de Everything But The Girl desde el folk-pop de los ochenta al pop con influencias del hip-hop, drum & bass y electrónica, intimista y elegante de más adelante. Ambos son grandes compositores, pero la carrera de Ben nos muestra una versatilidad muy por encima de la de Tracey, sin embargo, se nota que la unión de ambos talentos nos deja cosas mágicas.
I was a younger lad when Todd Terry's remix of 'Missing' was getting massive radio play. I don't know any of the context of it but I was always really glad to hear it come on. This history combined with just kind of loving house and techno and drum n bass makes this album probably rate a little higher for me than the average person. The backing tracks are good enough they probably wouldn't need actual recorded vocals to be in my dance music rotations. The vocals are good though. Listening to this all the way through kind of gives sense that the lyrics all kind of dwell on similar subject matter but I wasn't listening to them that closely. I'm between a 3 and a 4 on here but I'm going 4 for the pleasant memories of the 'Missing' remix that has nothing to do with this album.
Its good for chilling
I enjoyed more than I expected
I was expecting some sort of indie rock thing based on the band name but this was much more interesting; I liked the electronic mixed with RnB thing this album had going on, very good album to relax to. Sometimes the music feels a little too slick at times, especially in the first half, but I liked how the beats picked up a bit more in the second half.
Feels extremely 90's but not outdated. Got a bit forgetful for me in the end.
Wow, why have I never gotten into Everything But the Girl before? I was only aware of Miss You, and I liked that song, but never dug in. I really enjoyed this album. Introspective, but grooves really well. Can definitely hear how they influenced other bands. Excited to listen to more of their music.
easy breezy such a vibe
I fw it, didn’t know this was the missing people before starting it.
Pretty typical early 1990s semi electro pop, but the female vocalist has a lot of presence and range.
Downloaded for future listen. Liked first two
Listened Before? N These guys kick ass! Love the lo-fi style beats with her silky voice over the top. Good love makin' music! Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Wrong
Tracy Thorn - terrific voice, this album still stands up well
sexy hot sutil sex and the city coded.
Other than Good Cop/Bad Cop I rated everything 4 or 5 stars. Her voice is much better than his music but nothing torrentially horrid. Definitely a great listen (aside from the Cop song, which sucked).
bro this album was amazing... love the massive attack vibessssssssssss
I think that I could make an argument that Kermit the Frog was a leading influence on the musical sound of the 90s -- at least in terms of vocal delivery. This is yet another album from that era where the singer has that muted, back of the throat sound that Kermit was known for. I was going to say I've never heard of EBTG before, but looking back we already had one of their albums. Clearly they had an impact... I was rather bearish on them in my last review, but either (a) this is a better album or (b) I'm in a better mood today. In any event, I actually rather enjoyed this experience. The light electronic downtempo DnB paired with kermit delivery works in many cases. At its worst it sounds dated, but at its best it is rather blissful. Opener Before Today is among the better here. Not so much the follow-up Wrong that plays a bit too close to Forever 21 vibes for my taste. Single is solid as is Flipside. For me this was more good than bad. Not blow you away amazing, but very solid. On repeated listens I'm feeling a low 4.
Yeah I like this. Trip hop got better as the list progressed. Definitely felt like 1996 in this album.
Best wel leuke zachte elektronische muziek
They've done better, but *everything* by EBTG is excellent.
a band that i apparently Should know about but do not (my lack of any real footing in the electronic music nerd world is showing ig ghjsdgh). this record announces essentially everything it will do in the first 30 seconds but its such a wonderful thing and it keeps growing on me even as i sit here thinking about it afterwards. beyond the recognizably high quality of the production vocals ect its hard to pinpoint exactly what works for me so consistently here beyond its ability to just conjure genuine mystique...esp impressive given the songs are emotionally pretty direct and Physical, but idk, something about the presentation feels just a few steps removed from normalcy. in a good cool way! apparently this record is a departure from their earlier work , which has me curious whats going on back there
Before Today is a little jazzy with its trip hop/drum n bass backing. The simple melody and vocal lines are very 90s electronica. Wrong has a 4 on the floor beat and driving prog house bassline, before it's back to down tempo stuff on Single. The vocals make the track. Everything is comforting, soft synths and pads. It still sounds very pop, for the most part, just borrowing a lot of EDM sounds. Lots of chilled soundscapes. Walking Wounded is a little different, deeper and darker, with a fractured beat again. It's layered and very good. Big Deal is in the same vein, then Mirrorball is smooth, poppy, almost R&B now. It's catchy with a nice groove. The original release ends with two remixes: Todd Terry puts his melodic house spin on Wrong and there's an Omni Trio mix of Walking Wounded, which is more in line with the album tracks but doesn't feel essential. Nevermind. Still a great record.
Pretty cool album! So 90’s
Somehow this album manages to sound both behind its time and ahead of its time at the same time. It very clearly shows off a lot of 80s influence, but also manages to use that sound to create something that feels almost futuristic. And the end result is something actually really impressive, and I like how it's able to have a very retro influenced sound but without putting itself in that box too much, also managing to be super influential in its own way.
This is a time machine album that took me back to the late 90s when I first heard it. Favorite songs: Wrong, Flipside, Single
Nice music. Melodic and well crafted electronic backing.
I quite like downtempo house with female vocals on top, and this is no exception 3.75
There is something so effortlessly cool about this record. It mixes drum and bass textures with acoustic storytelling in a way that shouldn't work but does. It’s moody without being depressing, like a breakup letter you can dance to. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Before Today - Wrong - The Heart Remains A Child - Walking Wounded
"Walking Wounded" is an album I've never heard of made by a band I've never heard of. So when I pressed played I had no idea what to expect. The album an interesting mix of enchanting vocals and all kinds of drums and synths. What it lacks in terms of musical complexity, it makes up in sounds and textures (which I'd argue can be just as important!) Notable favorites: Before Today, Single, Walking wounded, Good Cop Bad Cop, Wrong - Todd Terry Remix. Overall I'd say this is an easy to listen to and a thoroughly enjoyable album. I understand why it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but in my opinion it's a very solid album.
Perfect.
Chill and grungy with hint of electronics. Good album
Plutôt fun c'est nice
Thought I recognized that voice, and indeed she did a few songs with Massive Attack on their Protection album. Now I was listening. Admittedly I was biased after that realization, but I still wanted to not take anything for granted before hearing the record. Said and done, I think this is quite an interesting album. No getting away from it being very 90s sounding. Not sure it’s in an entirely good way throughout, but mostly at least. The singer carries this album in many ways, and both sounds and looks a bit like a predecessor to Romy in The XX. Half expected her to be Romys mother, but not the case. In summary, ’Wrong’ stood out as the best track, but I liked almost all of them more or less. Weak 4.
This is more like it! Love EBTG. This is where they went electronic. The synth backdrops actually allow Tracey’s vocals to really shine through. Great album. 4
So, I listened to this differently than I have any of the previous albums so far. For a first listen I normally am sitting at my computer with either a physical notepad, google docs open, or just the simple notes thing this website provides. However, this time, I just decided to give it a go when I couldn’t get to sleep. Sitting in bed, thinking “I can at least give the first song a try and if I'm not feeling it I’ll listen later.” Surprisingly, maybe, I was like “this is kinda cute and vibey” girlypop, if you will. I honestly liked most of the songs, “Single” and “Flipside” probably being my favorites. I didn’t really vibe with the title track “Walking Wounded” sadly, or the most popular song “Wrong”. They just didn't click with me. I probably won’t come back to it crazy often, but it is a really fun vibe imo. Men I Trust vibes. When trying to see if that band was inspired by this one I typed “Men I Trust Everything But The Girl” into google and nothing came up, google probably thought I lost my mind :( Oddly enough, I got hints of both Faith Hill in “The Heart Remains a Child” and Florence Welch in “Flipside” solely based on vocal performance. Overall: cute album, never will be an all time fave but a fun vibe to come back to every now and then. 4/5
Ooh that Tracy Thorne. Recently having broken UK containment with the Missing remix, this follow up builds on that dance sound. Wrong ended up being another minor hit on this side of the Atlantic and while there is some nice stuff here, getting close to greatness at times.
I only recently discovered this group from their 2023 album. But after listening to Walking Wounded, I am shocked that I haven’t been enjoying this album for years. It resembles Massive Attacks vibe but has its own thing going. A great listen, with some real winners.
8/10
Surprised by how much I like this album!
Clubby but super chilled. Great tunes. Great voice.
I've heard of the band before but didn't think I'd heard any of their music. I was Wrong - specifically. I've heard the track many times before without knowing who it was and liked it very much. Not sure what style this is, there's bits of EDM, but not exclusively. All good to listen to, musically and vocally. I don't know if this is typical of their other music but having heard this album I'll definitely be searching out their other alnums now.
Finally. Early on this challenge I got a different album by this group and really disliked it. The only redeeming quality was Tracey Thorn's voice (I guess you could hated everything but the girl). I'd heard that their later work was a lot better and I finally see it. They abandoned the cheesy 80s Sophistipop for some smooth drum n bass. I suppose to some that might sound equally dated but I grew up with music like this. More importantly (to me) it just makes a much better vehicle for Thorn's vocals. I appreciate this is my personal bias talking but I find myself wondering if the other Everything But the Girl album was only included to show the contrast between their earlier and later years. I much preferred this one.
One of relatively few albums I actually own in physical form. I like Everything But The Girl, so underrated, just miss a little catchiness
Great stuff. Love Tracey Thorn’s voice over those beats.
Smooth bass, cool 90s jungle style drums. I could listen to that bass forever; punchy attack that fades into a smooth square wave (or whatever), it's intoxicating. A couple songs are a little tiresome, but most are great, steady bops. 4/5
Wrong is banging
A nice mix of trip-hoppy vibe dance music and classic songwriting
This one was a nice surprise. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did, but it really worked. If this list has taught me anything, it’s that I’ve got a soft spot for trip hop. The vibe here is smooth, chill, and just different enough to stand out. The first track threw me off a little since the vocals were buried in the mix, but after that, it clicked. The beats, the electronic touches, the laid-back vocals all blended together in a really cool way. It makes for great background music and definitely something I’ll throw in again. Favorite song: Wrong
really nice
Actually outstanding. Pure luxury in electronica, crisp and timeless beats interwoven with hypnotic vocals. Remains kind of minimalist in the mix though. Great bass lines. I like this alot. It falls right in line with my jazz/hiphop/triptronica/beat tape affiliation. Great study music, great research music, great work music and night driving music.
Cool and chilled. Good music for a drink with a lover.
твердая 4, люблю всякие брейккоры, хаусы и днб.
I've had friends telling me for years that I need to listen to this. I never get around to it. I owe them an apology
The musical equivalent of 90's nostalgia.
Enjoyable, if not overly memorable
No expectations heading into this one, and I gotta say, it's a vibe. Very heavy on the 90s house drum kit (very British I gather), and the vocals are ethereal and soothing. No real notable songs I think but the album in its entirety is just nice, and as they say, cool
Excellent album full of wonderful melodies and soothing key progressions. Well thought out lyrics. Just a well crafted album in general.
Morcheeba-like
4.1
I was admittedly deflated when I saw another EBTG album for the second time in a few weeks but damn what a total facelift their sound got. Trading out sappy soft ballad instrumentation for wildly sleek jungle-inspired production. I think they did in fact get the message about the success of Todd Terry’s moody club-friendly “Missing” remix. Man they knocked this out of the park. So many of the sounds on this album are being revisited in the pop zeitgeist today, namely by PinkPantheress. “Before Today” & “Wrong” are such firm opening songs. “The Heart Remains A Child” was a bit of a lowlight, just a bit cheesy and out of place. But that didn’t last long, the following “Walking Wounded” was fantastic - part somber, part eerie jungle cut. This HIT, everything about this song is right up my alley. The piano that comes in halfway through?? OOOH!! Love it. I’m reminded of Goldie’s classic “Inner City Life” from a few years prior; surely a touch point for this song and album on the whole. The same phenomena occurs again, when “Mirrorball” lulls a bit too much as another cheesy ballad, only to be followed by yet again some more stellar jungle in “Good Cop Bad Cop”. This album really pulled me out of the doldrums I mentioned recently with rock album after rock album. Totally what I've been into this past year or so. Save a few ballad-style cuts from this project and I'd be thinking 5/5. A happy 4 stars from me.
7 Good tunes
Last night I was having dinner with a couple of younger musicians. We were all talking about some of the music one of them plays, and she referred to it as trip-hop. There was then a conversation about other bands/artists of the genre. I know my phone is "listened to" by the NSA, Amazon, and god knows who else, but I never guessed the album generator was in on it as well. I had to chuckle when this came up today. The good news for me is that I enjoy this genre of music very much. I didn't care much for Idlewild from EBTG previously, but that seemed more about the time and place when I heard it. This was perfect for today, and I totally got into the vibe right away. I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of Tracey Thorn's vocals with the beats and other electronic elements. It totally worked for me and I could listen to this all day.
TT has a voice for the ages and she uses it to good effect, which makes one forgive them jumping on the trip-hop/lounge fad of the day. The canned, drum-machine-y beats are, for the most part, skillfully and subtly deployed, though they have a dating effect, grounding this in a quite specific time rather than elevating this to timelessness. Some actual instruments mighta warmed things up a bit. Still, execution is everything and as with everything EBTG did, they do so with restraint and style and sophistication here. So it works as a largely pleasing record, albeit not one of the challenging records on this list.
i liked it, like the beats
Good alternative duo. Great songs. Good songs.
Some really cool deep house/jungle tracks. Very nice mellow dance music
bello bello
Mi è piaciuto molto, voto 4.5
gran bel fatto però ho sbagliato album e mi sono addormentata e quando mi sono svegliata ero al disco due con i remix mi è venuto un infarto però il disco 1 molto carino lei ha una voce troppo bella
90s Chillpop. College studying. Served a purpose, good for the day, wasn't the best of its genre, pleasant enough. Wrong and Walking Wounded are decent and had great mixes - not the ones included here - the rest is nothing memorable 30 years later. Jeez, that was 30 years ago.
Smooth vocals and chill synths over driving, frenetic percussion make this a pretty cool entry into the era's developing electronic scene.
This is a 3.5-4 for me. It's very good in parts, great mood piece, but it doesn't stand out a lot. However, it is consistently good, no bad songs, and the singing is great all the way through - the real highlight - with the music supporting her.
EBTG evolved dramatically from the folky jazz of Idelwild (on this list) to the electronic beats of Walking Wounded. I like both incarnations.
Know these two bc of Mom <3 Fav was Flipside.
kind of a vibe, better than the last album I had to listen to of theirs
Album som egner seg for å gå i byer etter mørket har meldt sin ankomst
Just average good sounding album. For the fans of dance tehno it will be great.
Southing jungle production meets sade 7/10
I was absolutely taken aback at how much I liked this. It's not anything too big of a liking, but it's a liking indeed. Very cool stuff (7/10, 4/5 on this scale)
I enjoyed this, great to listen to while working. Very much reminiscent of Sade.
Apart from hearing Missing on the radio a lot when I was a kid, I only really listened to EBTG when Fuse came out. Can't believe I missed out so much, they are great! This album is pretty front-loaded, but overall it is very good, nice mix of genres and very chilled out. I love Tracy Thorn's voice as well.
Great album
Спокойная, особо не примечательная музыка, хорошо подходящая для комфортного фона. 6 из 10.
"The most striking thing about this "band" is the beautiful tone of Tracey Thorn's voice... she is a great singer... a rich alto, so clear... She and Ben Wright write all the songs... this album is electronica... but with luscious vocals and catchy melodies... and the electronica aspects are so tasteful... "Before Today" opens... "i want your love... and i want it now"... bad ass... "Wrong" is a dance track... but with the "track" taking a back seat to the vocals... something about this act simmers.... it is a burning... that is understated... but you feel it... it is, more than anything... COOL... my only problem with them is that they never really reach any big HEIGHTS... they stay in that cool range... it's groovy... it's immaculately sung... it is Five big stars in the genre... but, when up against the great albums of all time... it is a notch below... FOUR stars... and worth the listen... you won't want to listen just once..."
Not bad tunes in my opinion. I liked the lyrics and some of the beats as well. Nothing stood out in particular, but i enjoyed the listen.
Not what I imagined reading the description and quite a pleasant listen
Love this
Opening song starts with interesting vocal. Suprisingly I am enjoying this laid back album today. 4
Good vibes
This is album was a breath of fresh air. I'm very new to electronic music and don't often venture there. The vocals over the instrumentals were amazing and entrancing. After doing some reading, the vocals seem very Portishead inspired except a more electronic instrumental. I will definitely be saving this and look to get a physical copy.
3.5
Honestly I’m surprised I enjoyed this as much as I did. Every song sounded pretty similar, but I liked the chill vibes and the lead singer’s voice.
Tracy Thorn's voice is great, and I think suits this material better than their earlier folky stuff. I like this, though I appreciate it's a little backgroundy. Going to generously give this a low four, because I was in the right mood for it today.
One of my dad's favorite albums ever. I can see why; still got those weird ass Thorn vocals from Idlewild but now over some much more interesting dnb/electronica stuff that makes for a really unique and engaging listen
This hits all the nostalgia notes, but in retrospect Wrong and Walking Wounded are doing a lot of heavy lifting
"Tonight I feel above the law, I'm coming into land." Listened to B4? No Tracks Already Saved on Spotify: None Standout Tracks: Before Today, Wrong, Walking Wounded (80/100)
Very nice
Will write review later
a bit of a mix of some downtempo, trip hop, breakbeats, and house; soft female vocals offering a stark contrast to the harder beats underneath. the contrast works.
Atmospheric & emotive throughout.
4.5!
Tosi siistiä elektronista poppia. Kappaleissa kanssa siistit elektroniset instrut, paljon breakbeattia ja dnb. Vaikea uskoa että tää on 90-luvulta kun tää on niin modernin kuuloista. Parhaat: Before Today, Walking Wounded, Good Cop Bad Cop
I thought this was going to be a struggle for me but once we got to the third song, I was happy to listen to it. The vocals are very minimal and the the music is celebrating every knob and dial available to the composer to twist, but it works. I think they have been done a misservice by having that one song of theirs on loop on the radio. I guess I would happily have this as background music if I had guests and felt the need to have background music.
Another crappy English electronic/trip hop/dance club album….but I loved it. Nearly gave this a 5 but relistened and it didn’t keep the same sheen as the 1st listen. Saved it and saved a bunch of songs from it so I’ll be listening again in the future
Pues esta un poquito repetitivo pero chill
it’s a dreamy album but i also think i was sleepy when i listened to it
I have a soft spot for this kind of 90s electro-pop. But something is *Missing* from this particular record.
Never considered listening to them. I was wrong. Gorgeous atmospheres, amazing vocals, this is great! Yep, really like this!
Damn! Finally caught up lol Everything But The Girl huh? Do I know these guys. I like that this is a 1996 album. Maybe I'll recognize a song on it. Oh yeah!! This chicks voice sounded so familiar. She sings Missing. Apperently this is my second album from them lol and the first one was just 11 days ago. I must have been pretty busy when I listened to it because I didn't realize they were the same artists. I like this album so far. Oh shit! The last album I had was from 1988!! Didn't know they had been making music for so long. That's why I didn't recognize it then. Their style was so different then. Crazy that their biggest hit was the 1994 album Amplified Heart where Missing was on.
Aged like a fine wine. Lovely drum programming and soothing vocals. It's not 5 stars as some of the lyrics are a bit direct for my taste. 4.5 if I could. Bloody lovely in headphones.
Great album, never heard of the artist before and loved it.
Way better than I expected. Something about the melodies and the vocals that made for a really engaging listen,
Благодаря им узнал что такое даунтемпо, прикольно
I wish I'd known in the 90s that I was a huge trip-hop fan, but at least I can catch up now.
Nostalgic PS2 game soundtrack vibes thanks to the heavy drum and bass / jungle kick snares. So easy to listen to that I ended up getting halfway through a second time. I was also listening to it while playing Path of Exile on a day off, so it’s likely this was the perfect album to meet the occasion.
Very well done although a little boring at times. 4.0/5.0: Great
En 1996, le duo britannique Everything but the Girl, composé de Tracey Thorn et Ben Watt, opère une transformation musicale audacieuse et acclamée avec la sortie de son neuvième album studio, "Walking Wounded". Cet opus marque un virage stylistique majeur, délaissant les sonorités jazzy et sophisti-pop de leurs débuts pour embrasser pleinement les rythmes électroniques et les atmosphères envoûtantes de la drum and bass et du trip-hop, alors en pleine effervescence au Royaume-Uni. Loin d'être une simple concession aux tendances du moment, "Walking Wounded" s'impose comme une œuvre d'une profonde maturité, où la mélancolie introspective, signature du groupe, trouve un nouvel écrin sonore, à la fois moderne et intemporel. L'album s'ouvre sur le morceau éponyme, "Walking Wounded", une immersion immédiate dans ce nouveau paysage sonore. Les breakbeats caractéristiques de la drum and bass, ici ralentis et adoucis, tissent une toile rythmique complexe sur laquelle la voix chaude et légèrement voilée de Tracey Thorn déploie des paroles empreintes d'une vulnérabilité poignante. Elle y dépeint la douleur persistante d'une rupture amoureuse, l'impression d'être un "blessé de guerre" de l'amour, errant dans le paysage de sa propre peine. Ce titre donne le ton à l'ensemble de l'album : une exploration des cœurs meurtris et des solitudes urbaines, portée par des productions électroniques sophistiquées. Ben Watt, après s'être immergé dans la scène électronique londonienne, collaborant avec des figures montantes telles que Spring Heel Jack, qui coproduit une partie de l'album, et Howie B. Leur apport est crucial, insufflant une authenticité et une fraîcheur aux productions, tout en respectant l'essence mélodique et l'écriture sensible du groupe. Des titres comme "Wrong" illustrent parfaitement cette fusion réussie. Sur une rythmique jungle épurée et des nappes de synthétiseurs éthérées, Tracey Thorn chante les malentendus et les regrets d'une relation qui s'effrite. Sa voix, toujours au premier plan, conserve cette intimité désarmante qui a fait la renommée du duo, mais elle se trouve magnifiée par la richesse des textures électroniques. "Single", autre morceau phare, aborde avec une lucidité douce-amère le thème du célibat et de la reconstruction de soi après une séparation. La production, à la fois minimaliste et entêtante, souligne le sentiment d'isolement et la quête d'indépendance. Ce qui frappe dans "Walking Wounded", c'est la manière dont Everything but the Girl parvient à intégrer des éléments de genres alors considérés comme underground, tels que la drum and bass, dans un format pop accessible sans jamais en diluer la substance ou la complexité. Ils évitent l'écueil de la simple appropriation pour créer une œuvre hybride et personnelle. Les paroles de Tracey Thorn, toujours aussi introspectives et finement ciselées, abordent des thèmes universels – l'amour, la perte, la solitude, la résilience – avec une honnêteté et une sensibilité qui trouvent un écho particulier dans ce contexte sonore nocturne et mélancolique. L'album explore également des nuances plus sombres et expérimentales, comme sur "The Nerve", où les rythmes se font plus insistants et l'atmosphère plus oppressante, reflétant une tension intérieure palpable. À l'inverse, des morceaux comme "Before Today" apportent une touche plus lumineuse et dansante, tout en conservant cette élégance mélodique propre au groupe. Un 4 sur 5 pour un album novateur de techno acoustique et mélancolique.
This is a really good selection of tracks, and I enjoyed listening from beginning to end. My only issue is I prefer remixes of all the singles (bar the title track, which is in it's best guise here in the Spring Heel Jack produced version), But I prefer the remixes of Before Today (by Dillinja), Wrong (Todd Terry or Deep Dish) and Single (Photek). So with these versions I'd give it top marks but as it is I can't help thinking of those remixes.
About a year ago, I had to listen to their 4th album Idlewild. It's a stark contrast to this one. Tracey's voice and lyrics combined with Ben's instrumentals, which now adapted to the more modern DnB and Electronica sound, finally fuse to form something great.
1. Before Today 8/10 2. Wrong 8/10 3. Single 9/10 4. The Heart Remains A Child 7/10 5. Walking Wounded 7/10 6. Flipside 4/10 7. Big Deal 5/10 8. Mirrorball 8/10 9. Good Cop Bad Cop 8/10 10. Wrong (Remix) 5/10 11. Walking Wounded (Remix) 3/10
Enjoyed the breakbeat instrumentals. Her voice also reminded me of Romy!
Cool vocals with a nice backing. Songs with vocals the best, especially Big Deal
This isn't something that I would normally listen to so it took me a few listens. The lyrics convey alot of complex relationship drama but it's all done in a very subtle groove sort of way. The music is sort of minimal. I think what makes these songs work is the strong dancey electro beats and her vocals are strong but chill. The vocal melodies flow like thoughts. The music itself is very secondary and is sort of like a groove texture in the background. Pretty cool!
Album #500, let's go! This kind of reminds me of the xx album I See You in its theme...a wave of songs about a complicated relationship and the highs and lows of the emotional rollercoaster that ensues. I enjoyed this one a lot more than the xx though. It's softer in a way but also more groovy, and the emotions feel more genuine and less overdone. And I really like her voice. This also feels so mid-90s, which I love. The blend of electronica with actual vocals and storytelling is pretty great. I was left wishing there were a few more faster/dancier tracks like Wrong, but even the slow songs took you on a cool journey.
Liked this way more than 'Idlewild'. Atmospheric, hypnotic, and textured.
cool beats, interesting shifting shimmers and bleeps in the music, languid melodies
Great trip-hop album.
Comprei esse CD em Curitiba aleatoriamente porque tinha gostado da capa. Coloquei no Backlog e prometi que ia ouvi-lo eventualmente. Bem, pelo jeito, esse dia é hoje! Muito bom, gostei. A palheta eletronica downbeat meio triphop com um pouco de jungle... Chill house... Executado com um otimo gusto. Os vocais aveludados, as letras agridoces. Esse CD certamente ficara no carro para ouvir dirigindo em noites solitarias. Analogo a um encontro de olhares com um desconhecido atraente. Dou preferencia as faixas mais animadas como Before Today e Wrong. As mais lentas, como The Heart Remains a Child nao me prenderam 100% 4.5/5
Very interesting never heard it before.
Solid album. Nice electronic beats and cool female vocals. Real smooth album with a little bite to it. Nothing blow me away here but I don’t think they were going for that. It’s a step up above lo-fi. Dare I say mid-vibe. Either way it’s definitely a vibe
a hell of a lot better than i was expecting
This album reminds me of the music of artist Sade Adu, a little soft music with a jazz-like melody.
Now this is much more enjoyable. Screams childhood, feels nostalgic, and Tracey Thorn's vocals are some of the best. Barely a bad song on this
Enjoyable
Super decent pop sound. I dig it.
This is better than I was expecting. I came in thinking ugh. Early 90's British electronica at its most pastiche. And sure it's that, but it it also seems to be the best of that era. I really liked hanging out in clubs where this type of music played in the background. Music to drink fancy cocktails too.
I don't look at the album tracks, so I kept expecting Missing to come up.
“I think the heart remains a child. Why don’t you love me?” Homegirl went through the worst breakup of her life and said, “take me to the studio. I have some things I need to get off my chest.” I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Very real, genuine emotions and things we’ve all been through. “Do you like being single, do you want me back? Do I like being single? Am I coming back?”
This is kind of like if that one Beth Orton remix song was a whole album. Some trip hop stuff and also some garage and early IDM stuff. I really like the drums in pretty much every song - this was when ‘dance’ music wasn’t terrible and commercial. Singing is also great and there are some indie elements like guitars which I think also work quite well. Favourite songs: before today, wrong, walking wounded, flipside, big deal, mirrorball, good cop bad cop Overall around 7/10
Real easy listening, great vibes from the artist. Little melancholic but that's cool
Lamb-lite.
A good album to eat salad to.
This kind of downtempo & chill electronica really hits all the right notes for me. I'd abandoned this genre for some time and I loved re-engaging with it. I enjoyed this from beginning to end.
Definitely my kind of music. Really chill but not boring, faves were Wrong and Single.
The first song on this album my Dad had on an iPod playlist he made called “Chilloungica.” His music interests were so vast, and I’ll forever credit him for my own love for all kinds of music. It pleases me imaging him grooving to these tunes. Being only familiar with the mega hit “Missing” from these artists, this album was a new listen for me. I dig the mid-90s house/DnB music vibes - something I didn’t call it then, but as I got older I realized I’ve been into electronic music well before I got in to “raving.” That hit single was so popular, and so engrained in my brain, that at least once in every song here I thought she was going to start singing those lyrics. I always appreciate when I get something other than rock-n-roll on this list.
It's that early combo of dream pop and electronica that was accessible to the general public.
I seem to remember that we had an earlier Everything But The Girl release on this list a few months ago. In my review, I had said that I prefer their later, more "electronic" works. This is that. So there ya go. Give this album one more star than I gave that one, plus a half-star for the two outstanding remixes that close this one.
high 4 so like a 4.5 or somethign
8/10
I had not heard this bands name before, although I realised that I know their track Missing. Had no expectations of liking this but this was actually really fucking cool chill 90s electronic. Would like to hear more, including the album that has missing on it.
I think I had heard them before- but never intentionally a whole album. All the music that came up once the album had finished were songs I knew. Really worked for cooking last nights dinner. They’re now in the rotation.
Certainly, an improvement over the last album we got from this group, just because the electronic elements really elevate their sound. 4.5 bumped down to 4.
I’m at a 3.5 that I'll bump up to a 4, but just barely. On paper, I love the idea of blending Tracey Thorn’s excellent vocals on Idlewild with a more unique sound, aka the D&B / electronica of the mid/late 90s. There’s good beats here, and her vocals sound as strong as ever. The album sort of succeeds at finding a general baseline for its basslines, and in that sense, what’s here is a really competent 41 minutes of tracks. I did enjoy the album. For me, though, the issue is one that’s annoyingly simple to say, but hard to actually execute: the tracks just don’t go far enough. This album is just missing part of the thrill that makes a roller coaster ride of an emphatic D&B track so compelling to listen to. Her vocals are there, and the basic beats are there, but we’re not leaning enough into the electronica aspects to really make each track go, at least for my tastes. Too many tracks on this album suffer from not going far enough, and too many tracks on this album suffer from simply not going anywhere at all, at least for long enough that it’s a noticeable issue. 4 tracks really stood out to me: “The Heart Remains a Child”, “Walking Wounded”, “Flipside”, and “Mirrorball”, and I suppose those tracks represent my other issue with the album; one that doesn’t necessarily matter as much, but one still bothering me all the same. There’s supposed to be a harmony that exists between lyrics, vocals, and instrumentation, and while this album has a safe enough harmony between the vocals and instrumentals, the songwriting chops that kept each track afloat on Idlewild are sort of thrown out here, save for those 4 tracks. It’s an unfortunate sacrifice to give more attention to the instrumentals/vocals, but with them feeling underbaked for my ears, it feels like an unnecessary one. I’m digging into it a bit, but I still don’t think this is a bad album at all; I really liked it. For me, it’s just an undercooked one. I understand the desire to not fully sacrifice your sound and style to the D&B that permeates this album, but like… even Cher fucking used autotune on Believe, you know? Any kind of vocal effect would’ve done something to accommodate the electronica-infused production here, even if it was only for 5 seconds on each track. Either that, or just letting the instrumentation really explode and do its thing, as opposed to settling for a looping beat most of the time. Ironically, the "Wrong" remix present on the album partially remedies this issue (instrumentally, not vocally), but I hesitate to call it part of the main tracklist. As far as the core 9 tracks go, this album’s got so much potential, but it never fully finds it for my tastes. With that said, the execution is still strong, and the album still has enough of a groove that I will BARELY bump this up to a 4. I really hope we get another album from them where they can fully perfect this for my tastes, but this is still fine enough all the same.
Heartbroken kitchen sink disco. Love the vocals, wasn't so keen on any tracks featuring a guitar though.
Ja nice
When the downtempo drums kicked in, I let out an involuntary "Oooohhhh" because my expectations had completely flipped, only then did I truly understand what I was listening to, and suddenly became very excited about this release. This is such a delightfully unexpected transition for Everything But The Girl. Their willingness to experiment with newer technologies and sounds is apparent and the fact that they made the transition from 80's sophist-pop to the trip-hop of the 90's seem so effortless is impressive. This a moody and mysterious sounding album, while having tempos and song variety that keep the record engaging. EBTG's vocals have always been a highlight throughout their career, and this is no exception. Tracey Thorn sounds ethereal, confident, and alluring. I love this era of electronic music, and the fact that there's an Omni Trio mix of "Walking Wounded" has me giddy. This is the first time I have ever heard this record and I. LOVE. IT.
I've never heard of this band or album before, so I went in blind. I really enjoyed this!! It's fresh and fun and enjoyable without being too abrasive. It was so different to anything I've listened to but I'm really excited to listen to more of this.
I only know 3 songs by this duo, “Missing”, “Wrong” and “Tracey In My Room” (although the latter two are basically the same). This is a good album, simple tracks with good vocals, but it isn’t amazing. I like the chill house element to their sound, I always liked her voice and there’s nostalgia value so I give extra points for that. I played some of their older records and was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t realise they weren’t always an electronica duo.
I think I quite like this..!!! Or is it just a most welcome break from distirted guitar? We shall never know. But I think I quite like it.
I enjoyed this. The songs didn't seem as long as they are. minimalistic, electronic, spacey instrumentals made the album for me. Thorn's voice is pleasant. Melodically lacking a bit, and lyrically not always engaging. But overall, nice. Best tunes: wrong, the heart remains a child, walking wounded, flipside, big deal
Tracey Thorns vocal are amazing...expressive and rich. Just effortless! Liked "Single", "Good Cop" & "Flipside". Interesting how they found there band name. I made French toast on a Sunday morning while listen to Walking Wounded. It paired well.
Everything But The Girl is one of those artists I had forgotten about, so revisiting this album was definitely fun. The music is mostly trip-hop oriented beats or really cool atmospheric jungle and drum and bass beats, which I enjoy the most. Due to its laid-back vibe, I think it has aged pretty well compared to other bands making commercially available electronic music at that time. Unfortunately, when it comes to electronic-driven music, there are only a few bands whose albums feel timeless. This is one of them, alongside other artists such as Portishead.
Man this is leaps and bounds different and better than their first recommended record on this site "Idlewild." Some interesting electronic drum and bass beats, beautiful vocals, cool instrumentals. Almost like a Sade mixed with a trip hop group. Or a less rocky more poppy No Doubt. Very much a 90's pastiche but a good listen.