Reviews (page 5 of 8)
This is a pretty good introduction to that late 90s trip-hop scene. It's not as fully-formed as the likes of Massive Attack or Portishead but fits nicely alongside them, and it admirable in its' attempt.
Easy listen, neither great nor terrible.
Calm, soothing, relaxed, velvety voice – actually pretty cool and interesting compositions. But electronic music like that isn't really my kind of music.
Not bad. Meh
This was cool. Kind of fun dark low-fi sounding pop. I definitely recognized a few songs, which was fun. I also just kind of got bored with it. Definitely chill and easy to groove with.
= the Beatles Relaxing
This was fun but there is a better album of theirs on the list
twee d&b > twee indie
This was very 90s dance club pop. This was alright but felt like a filler album.
Good voice and good beats. From what I'm reading, this is a band that changed a lot over the years, so I don't know if this is really representative.
vibing to this one, nice trip hop sounding songs, good to drive to
I remember constantly seeing posters for Everything But The Girl in Tower Records whenever I visited, but I never really got into them. Their music was always fine, but never reached full enjoyment. Hearing them again decades later with this album, I still feel the same way. 3.25/5
ei paljoa jäänyt mieleen subjective kuuntelu siis eli keskitähdet…. ei annetakkaan.. katsotaan ja kopioidaan kaveri… JA NATE SILVER REFERENSSI RES-FUCKING-PECT… HURJAA…. Ja jaha eli 3 star annettu.. noh
Like the beats, especially the remixes. Classic chill.
fine. Overall didn't grab me.
You can wear this to work or to the club. Listenable and danceable. Sadè-like (but not Sadè, of course). It’s a 3.
ok
Growing up I always wondered what music my dad was listening to when it wasn't classic rock. This album is probably one of the ones he listened to. Unfortunately it's just okay to me and makes me think of late 90s early 00s tv shows.
A... reasonable inclusion, I guess. For Music of Its Time. Not bad, really. I'm a bit surprised even, how much (muted) DnB there is on this, as I had not quite filed EBTG under that. But on the other hand: it's just... there. A slim, open booklet on the coffee table. Ticks off mid to late 90ies downtempo electronica boxes in a pleasant way but doesn't seem to be interested in doing more than that. [...] Rating day and it's not looking good. Trying remember anything, songs, melodies, of what I heard yesterday and I'm drawing a blank.
3.5
The first 3 tracks were great, after that it really started to sag into 90's popslop, only for it to really pick up with the final 2 tracks again. The Drum n Bass parts were nice and unexpected. The singers voice is really pleasant and reminds me of all the music that was on the radio in the late 90's and early 2000's. I can't place or recognise any of the songs here but they sound vaguely familiar in a way. Could've been a higher rating if more of the songs were like Before Today, Wrong and Walking Wounded.
Two songs in, I like it, a little trippy, dancey. Echo's of Annie Lennox and Beth Orton. I guess it is of the times.
not my normal listen but nice background music
Doesn’t really grab me. Okay enough but just a bit background music-ish to me. Fine enough to just put on and chill I guess.
The lyrics are pretty good. The music is… there are a lot of sounds and stuff. Not my favorite thing. Starting to think it would be embarrassing if you were British and released an album between 1967-1995 and it wasn’t on this list. Wrong is a decent song. Don’t think I’ll be returning to this one.
A completely unknown group for me. Nice singing voice and I like their style. A good album overall.
Great concept, not my favorite version of this kinda record.
Dope garage-grooves men blir langtekkelig som album though, og låtene glir fort inn i hverandre som 90s background shopping-center-musikk. Ikke sååå overraskende at den største låten til dette bandet er en Tod Terry remix …
Such a tease whenever the more drum n bass inspired tracks teases what could have been been. The kasseguitar and female vocals tracks that ruin this whole adventure is such a shame to an otherwise cool album. Before today Big deal Walking Wounded
1. Flipside 2. Before today 3. Walking wounded
The vocalist sounds a LOT like Sade, but without as much as soul. The drum n bass really worked for the album, even though it started to sound a little same-y to me. The album worked for me, although there wasn't one song that overtly resonated with me (maybe the title track). Top tracks: "Wrong," "Flipside," "Walking Wounded"
Another Everything But The Girl and still no Missing. I'm not sure why this album got on the list as opposed to their previous big album Amplified Heart. The sound is similar except that they leaned heavy into electronica on this album (i.e., sold their souls to it after the success of the Missing remix) and it's their first self-produced album. But so what? Other artists gained control of production after a recording contract ended and other artists have done electronica. Tracey Thorn still has incredible pipes and that's the biggest redeeming aspect of this album. But the tracks themselves all sound the same so Ben Watt has more work to do on the instrument side. Fine, trade your guitar for a computer and add in more drum track, but vary the tempo. It was like 40 minutes of background music you'd hear in an elevator, hotel lobby, dentist's office, or trendy mall clothing store. It's not awful but it's boring. Uhh-tiss, Uhh-tiss, Uhh-zzzzz.
An okay bum but only flip side really stood out.
Nice chilled music. Not sure I'd go back to it but a good listen.
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.
This one is MUCH better than the other album of Everything But The Girl on this list. Stripped back the songs flourish more.
Wrong hat mir am besten gefallen, Ansonsten passiert mir a bisi zu wenig :).
I liked this more that Massive Attack’s Blue Lines. It’s still a bit one dimensional and no real stand out songs.
Elsewhere I've gushed about Everything But the Girl. With Walking Wounded the sparkle loses some of its luster. I think my heart only has enough room for two of their records despite finding Tracey Thorn's vocals to be a particularly welcome balm whenever they come on. For me this album is caught in the trap most artists I like struggle to get out of: "more of the same, only now it's no longer new" — only the rare few produce more of the same that is somehow still exactly what I need. I realize this review is much more about my psychology than their music, but isn't every review on this page an expression of this truth?
Melodies/beats are too "crowded" at times, it's overwhelming.
Not bad, pretty chill - another one that reminded me of Portishead. No real standout tracks, though, and kind of boring.
I was quite surprised with the level of drum n bass in this, or definitely the more upbeat dancey tracks, only with mellow vocals put on top. It does work and it's quite nice. I never really checked these guys out back in the day beyond knowing the singles. It's the kind of thing I might be into, I just found it wasn't particularly engaging. The album seemed to pass me by somewhat, but it was a nice background listen.
Not bad, but kinda unmemorable
Enjoyed.
The girl’s voice evocatively interplays with the boy’s production well enough, but everything commingles in such a way that nothing truly stands out.
This group is too often slept on but they have a really good combo going with a chill vibe, solid beats, and female vocals. I didn't know all of the tracks on this album but I immediately recognized their sound because so many of their songs are used during warm-ups in dance classes. I think, aside from their big hit "Missing" which got radio play, that's how most people know of EBtG. I was teleported directly back to 1999-2002 with this one and I loved it so 3.40.
Ok EBTG, you caught me off guard. Pretty good album but Thorn really makes it work. Without a lead woman on vocals, this would just be a mediocre techno album. Top track "Flipside" and was good enough to make my reoccurring playlist. I enjoyed this more than Massive Attack's and Tricky's album showings of similar genre...bit more upbeat. 2.6 stars.
I'm not sure Everything But The Girl did anything overly special in this but sometimes simplicity and sticking to what you are good at works. On face value I probably shouldn't have enjoyed this as much as I did. However, it was a really pleasant listen that sucked me in for some reason. Maybe it was just the time of day but something struck a chord with me and I thoroughly enjoyed this listen. 3.47 stars
Quite an enjoyable album. Nice vibes. Will definitely listen to this artist again
3-3.5 I don't remember it much tbh but it didn't bother me
Pretty vibey, but also repetitive.
I’ve been enjoying this kind of album a lot lately!! Didn’t hit quite as hard as some others I’ve heard but very danceable and pretty!!
Pleasant, inoffensive and a bit dull. I really want to give this a 2.5 and I’m pissed off that the likes of this is on here and the masterpiece that is Massive Attack’s ‘Mezzanine’ is not
Decent quite easy listen. Soft core dance with trancy female vocals 6/10
Great background music.
I listened to this in the middle of nowhere Arkansas in a log cabin while making an apple pie. That’s probably never happened before. I liked the first three songs, but then it lost me. It went free m cool and fresh to redundant dance jazz. Weird.
Fav: The Heart Remains A Child Least Fav: Big Deal Thought the vocals were pretty boring
Favorite song: Wrong
Meh.
I had not heard anything from Everything But The Girl except the one hit they had several years ago. The music is a bit basic in terms of the beat but the vocals kept me hooked.
Slow drum and bass with rampant late90s nostalgia. Probably as good as it gets when that's the intended output.
I really love Missing and I know Wrong is on this record so I was looking forward to listening to more of their output because I was hoping it would sound like that. Unfortunately this is a bit of a bore in comparison to their biggest hits and is just watered down elevator music drum and bass... I wish it did more with the cool breathy vocals but it really doesn't. This was sadly a bit of a disappointment but I'd give another EBTG record a shot, maybe it's just this one that isn't that special.
'I've never liked Everything But The Girl. They've always been too "lite" for me. However, when I heard Tracey Thorn singing on Massive Attack's "Protection," I have to admit I was impressed. A year and some month's later, I was impressed again when I heard that EBTG had changed their sound to a more dance/trance kind of thing, thus creating more "Protection"-esque soundscapes. It works out fine, too, surprisingly. (And, for the record, I'd also like to mention that anything's better than another EBTG folk implosion.) Thorn's vocals are stunningly sweet against a drum 'n' bass backbeat that can either put you right to sleep or shock you awake, depending on your mood. Only thing about this future Lite FM staple, it gets pretty boring at the half-way mark. If there were only some sort of change in tempo or something...' -Ryan Schreiber, for Pitchfork (1996 - full review). Looks like the sort of review you could find on this app. Except this one was penned by an (at the time) up-and-coming critic who eventually managed to get paid for writing that sort of thing (in a better form elsewhere, admittedly). Just Imagine getting paid for writing your daily reviews for this app... 🙃 Don't totally disagree with the content of this specific, so-called "professional" review however (except for the sly dig at the band's "folk implosion" from previous record *Amplified Heart*). *Walking Wounded* is better than the quite blurry memory I've had of it, honestly, at least if you take out the overly bland "Mirrorball", and maybe also "Wrong"'s cynical attempt to replicate the formula of the winning dance remix of previous single "Missing". The drum'n'bass instrumentation in the other cuts does sound strong and legit, though. And Tracey Thorn's vocals are wonderful. It's just that beyond those clear assets, the songs often go on for too long, overstaying their welcome. Or they feel a little "safe" and predictable in the long run. FM lite indeed. 3/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 8/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3) Number of albums left to review: 20 (plus the 80-ish extra LPs listed on this app, included because different past versions of the book have mentioned albums that have since been dropped in subsequent editions) Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 421 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 251 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 312 (including this one)
Not bad but definitely one of those "why is it here?" albums
i honestly thought i was going to love this but it was simply just ok
ehkä jos laitan 4 niin keskiarvo nousee tasan 3.00.... suatnanan... suatanann kun ei koskaan mene... objektivist... kalculations mistake... majdotonta... maidotonta... ylläpitö voisi liaittaa laskennallisen ohjelmiston uusiksi... look up nate siöver... vähän tarkempaa laskentelua hopeaniekalta. matematiikan peruskäytäntöjä vähän LAIMIN LYÖTY... jättäkää tienkuppeeseen, LOGIIKKA + JÄRKI... käteen, ja ostoksille.... huoh ja ei ole edes 4 albumi... kolme.... kolme.... kolmeee... a kingdom for a 3 avg... flipside
80-tals pop. Alla låtarna känns som att dom är nära släkt till någon jag känner. Som om dom är syskon till Eurythimcs eller nått.
I had never heard this album before though I think I may have heard Everything But The Girl a couple times randomly in the past. This album was not really as strong as others from the sort of mid-90s trip hop/drum and bass genre. It was fine but it was just sort of background music. I didn't hate it, listened to it while working and it was totally fine for that. Nothing in the music really distracted me from whatever else I was doing, it was just kind of playing in the background and was certainly serviceable for that purpose. I wasn't excited to get play this one again but neither was I really itching for it to be over. 2.5/5
first listen some good vibes but a bunch of the songs were dumb
They had been around since the early 80s. They adapted to the ever changing trends. To be fair, they could have done a lot worse. It sounds sincere, not a pathetic attempt to stay relevant. Nice cross section of the popular EDM styles of that era. They were not leaders of any of them, but they cherry picked something album worthy, while the leaders were too one-dimensional. Favorite song: before today.
A completely fine, 28 year-old, adult contemporary album. Won’t last long in my memory.
It was fine! Very 90s sensual
this album is for people that like freaking it sensitive-style!
Generic mall background electronica from the 90s. meh.
very pleasant, very 90s, wow
Not one I've listened to before. It was alright. Pretty low-key just a touch of a hip-hop influence. I'd listen to it again.
Good tunes to have on while trying to concentrate. It was ok.
some good tunes. This passed me by at the time and will need more listens to get a full feel for it.
Very good
Not objectionable. Easy low listening.
I was surprised by this one - pretty decent.
ok
Thorn has a lovely voice and their better work has been on songs with traditional structures. I get why bands try new musical styles but ultimately this genre dumbs down all the music. Definitely liked it better on second listen though it drops off a bit.
Very lo-fi. Easy listening, but not something I would actively seek out
Better than what we’ve had recently but still not very compelling
Nice dance album. I would not have pegged this for the 90s
Very nice to have a coffee and bagel to.
Very 90s chilled out background vibe, not bad but a bit dated
Went in completely blank, had only known the "desserts mystery" song before which isn't actually on this album. Was surprisingly OK, I assume this is either from the early wave or the start of a DnB era. Felt like lots of DnB influences throughout and I quite liked that! 3.5 really.
before today- 4 wrong- 4 single- 4 the heart remains a child- 5 walking wounded- 4 flipside- 4 big deal- 4 mirrorball- 5 good cop, bad cop- 3 boring. brring brring
Solid, but a bit boring.
Very 90s
In my head I always thought Everything but the Girl were regional pop for parents who couldn’t move past cassettes so im intrigued that this is here So it turns out it’s a very 90s sounding tranc-y effort, which was pretty good.
Really good
It could be argued that no songs on this album hit quite like the Terry Todd remix of “Missing” they’re trying to emulate, but Walking Wounded is still a good time portal back to the late 90s. The title track is particularly good.
Pretty chill
I guess I underestimated Everything but the Girl. I’m from Hull and was 15 when this came out and I was painfully into indie. I probably wrote them off as a local novelty. They are decent though, can easily be compared with Massive Attack or Representz, with the skittery drums and jazzy bass. I think I’d have really liked them if everything was shifted by 2 years or so. But unfortunately it ultimately falls under the category of “dance music you can’t dance to” so in the end it’s got to get a 3. (And there’s no way they should have 2 albums on here).
Solid, listenable trip hop.
This album was god-sent to me when I was a kid in the 90s, but I don't think it aged as well as some of the other albums on this list. The production feels a bit stale and monotonous compared to other, similar modern projects. I have always liked that vocalist, though, and still think she's pretty good. 3.5 stars
2,5
I really enjoyed the dreamy synth pop and thought early on that I’d be in for a treat. I was expecting this to be more of a Beach House type album but as strong as the smooth synth beats were, the consistency wasn’t quite there for me and the lyrical content wasn’t clicking for me. The first couple tracks had my interest piqued, and this is really good synth pop, just not a great album overall. 3 stars
Not 'Missing' - but an entertaining downtime album.
I didn't realize EBTG were so electronic - maybe this is the start of that. I like the chill beats, although some are slightly dated now. She's got a nice voice, but the songs could have used some hooks and sing alongs. No major gripes, but no major thrills. 3.4
Not sure if I'd listen to it again but I enjoyed it.
It's very pleasant to listen to, but it blends into the background for me pretty quickly. The woman's vocals are lovely and there's some great beats here. Doubt I'll return to it.
If this sounds familiar and you’re not sure why, you’re looking for the song ‘Missing’ from 1994.
Good vibe. Something I could listen to while trying to fall asleep.
Missing by Everything But The Girl is a great track, but I can’t say I’d listened to anything else by them before. I was pleasantly surprised by this album, it was pretty decent!
Better than I expected - I loathed the other EBTG album i got from this list - this was strange but not unpleasant - a drum and bass ambient ish album and some hints of trip hop. But still I couldn’t fall in love with it either.
Yep. This was the mid-90s.
Kind of had Moby vibes. It was ok, but more like background music to me.
I fell in love with Tracy Thorn’s voice the first time I heard it, on EBTG’s first e.p.(1982), which featured a great version of Cole Porter’s Night &Day. I was an acolyte all the way through to Language Of Life(1990), but lost track of them after that, until the dance remix of Missing became their biggest ever hit single in 1994. Clearly the music they were playing had moved into new territory. Territory that was alien to me - I still have no idea what trip-hop or drum’n’bass mean. But the fact was that I was still in love with her voice. I have this cd. It’s a good listen, but I rarely play it. I still prefer the early stuff. Recommended reading : Thorn’s book, Bedsit Disco Queen (2013). As she says in the book, “the record we were making was ultimately more Ben(Watt’s)baby than my own”.
One of my least favourite drum and bass albums on this list
I forgot about these guys!
Some light dance music from the 90s. I liked it, Before Today was my favourite song. The low key music worked, but many of the songs felt pretty similar to me. Especially the beats, they could almost be using the same drum track for every song. A 3.5
I'm still not into electronic.
Every song sounds the same and none of them are Missing
molto soft.. gradevole da ascoltare durante il lavoro. uno dei miglior sottofondi da lavoro mai provati.
The music is quite nice and the vocals are really strong, but again there’s just nothing too exciting or memorable on here
Music for shopping at Zara/H&M (not in a bad way). The first half of the album is way stronger than the back half.
I'm always happy to hear more interesting genres on the list, but sadly this didn't really grab me much. My favourite track was the last track, the Walking Wounded remix, with its dnb kick pattern. Whilst listening I wondered whether this warranted a higher rating based on it being enjoyable background music, but then I thought about EBTG's big hit "Missing" and remembered how good this type of downtempo/trip hop can be, and this doesn't feel like it lives up to that. 3.1/5
Very chill and 90s in a way I found enjoyable but I don't have anything to go back to.
Huh - so this is what Everything But The Girl sound like? I'd expected something lighter and more indie. Nonetheless, chalk this up as a welcome surprise. I'm not doing backflips over this - I'm never going to be a fan of this flavour of electronica or trip hop - but nor do I dislike it. Tracey Thorn is really great - low-key, yearning, a tinge of sadness running through her voice like a seam of ore in a rock face. Plus, she sounds almost conversational and consoling - Thorn sounds like a friend singing advice to you. Not to my tastes so three stars, but I'm sure this scores higher for the connoisseurs.
90s XX basically
I was liking it but someone said it was like trying on jeans at Gap in the 90s. That ruined it for me.
Pretty good
This album was ok. I didn’t think there was anything special or horrible about it.
This was pretty good, very relaxing
Good album liked the chilled vibe and the vocals, not sure I’ll revisit it though,
A peaceful and enjoyable album that dragged on a bit too long
I like her voice.
Yeah definitely of it’s time, not knocking it down (birth year rep). I’m a big fan of 90’s synth sounds with this certain vocal style and feel. 3.4
A "sophisticated" pop/dance album. If that sounds appealing to you, then you should check it out. But I won't come back to this.
Started really good, first song is wonderful. Then it turned into what I can only describe as city center hotel lobby vibes.
No great shakes for me
OK. It wasn't bad per say I just don't know if it belongs here.
Walking Wounded has extremely nineties production that aged quite well. The songs are good, too. This was a surprisingly pleasant listen.
A good example of the Trip-Hop / Broken-beat style with slightly more pop feel, though not favourite, it's ok background music.
The girl is literally on the cover
This is a collection of the same dance song blended and rearranged track by track. its a good song but never shifts out of a second gear for me.
Has some very good tracks but the album drags for quite a while…
I do actually like a decent amount of this - she has a great voice and has some really great lyrics - but it’s just not totally my thing from a musical perspective. Could stand a revisit of this someday. 3/5
It was an ok album
Good background music, but got repetitive
Never heard of these folks but enjoyed the album. I liked her voice and most of the songs on the album but the music got a little tedious.
I like drum and base and 90's trip hop. I like Everything But The Girl's dance vibe. Their prior, Amplified Heart, has been a go to in my collection over the years. This one is a lot more D&B/Triphop than that one, which had leaned to bossa nova and more traditional dance beats. Walking Wounded - Omni Trio remix was a strong way to end. Love the cymbal bell work. I may need to revisit this one a few times and see if it seeps under my skin like Amplified Heart has through the decades of re-listens.
Before Today – 3.5 Wrong – 3.5 Single – 3.5 The Heart Remains a Child – 3.5 Walking Wounded – 3 Flipside – 3.5 Big Deal – 3 Mirrorball – 3.5 Good Cop, Bad Cop – 3 Average - 3.33 She has a nice voice and I liked the Electronic aspects of it but I just found it quite boring
#181. Maybe I'm way off here, but this seems like music for a hangover after a three day bender 🤷♀️ 3/5: decent
tu peux pas faire de la techno plus average que ça
Idk why this is so low and Portishead isn't. It's fine. Same vibe.
Chillig und smooth.
3.75
The singer is excellent. The canned synth and electronic drums on some songs took me out of them, but overall there is some good stuff here.
Surprisingly abrasive at parts. Some really cool sounds, especially on the title track, but quite uneven. The first two songs really bored me. I really liked 'The heart remains a child', though.
wasnt into this at first but it really grew on me as it went on. thats nice isnt it? favourite song: single
It was fine, not quite my style.
I didn't feel too strongly one way or the other with this one. Wasn't horrible, wasn't great either.
Not my thing
This is definitely not the type of music I tend to enjoy or listen to. I was pleasantly surprised though and did enjoy it. I would describe it as mood music and probably not something that will enter my rotation outside the occasional listen if I'm in the right mood. Made me think of the Dido song that is in Love Actually.
At first I wasn't vibing with the album, but after a second listen I'm kind of hooked on it
This was so ahead of its time I feel like. The singer’s voice and the production could have catapulted them into uber fame in the right circumstances. It gets a three point five for my personal collection but I was into this from the first song and I think they could kill in the club scene now.
Another mid album from the 90s. They’re nice and good backing tracks, but nothing substantial.
Klinkt als Moloko en Portishead, Air, lekker wel
Reminds me a lot of Annie Lennox which I liked as a fan of the Eurythmics.
This is a group I've always meant to get round to doing some sort of deep dive into. I really rate the genre and the vibe of the sound of this kind of record. The lead singers voice is so soothing, such a great vibe, I really enjoy stuff from this time period and this genre. Interesting to have remixes as the last two tracks, usually i dont rate that kind of behaviour, but it didnt bother me at all on this record, maybe the remixes were different enough than the album versions, maybe they were far enough away on the album, maybe i liked them and wanted to hear them again Single is a highlight, Mirrorball has a great chilled out vibe. for a rating, between a 3 and a 4 a 3.9 type
Not the drum and bass I am used to hearing and hating but much more listenable. There's just no edge to it, vocals are nice though.
Puras vibes
Some nice drum and bass.
It’s nice to get some electronic music but this is pretty meat and potatoes
an extremely pleasant, dance-y album that flowed perfectly. genuinely, i have no criticisms of the music itself. however, throughout the whole album i was reminded of other artists from around this time period. i didn't feel much originality. but for what it's worth, walking wounded is enjoyable for what it is.
Chill vibes, great for listening while working!
Best geinig semi elektronisch albumpje, valt verder weinig over te uit te wijden
Klassieke jaren 90 muziek. Geen klappers, maar ook geen oorverdovende troep. Gewoon een zesje.
Ik weet het niet zo goed bij deze. Niet heel stom, ook niet heel leuk.
Not the usual kind of thing I would enjoy. Very laid back and minimal in the front end, reminds me of old school house and techno. The vocalists voice is a mix of eerie and dreamy, it consistently draws you in and then rocks you away to the soundscape. Really solid album
This album was chock full of smooth, buttery vocals, soothing synths, and trip-hop drum machine loops. It was a great album to listen to while working on a couple of work projects. I did find it a bit repetitive but all of the songs are very pleasing, and this isn't my usual genre of music, so I can't fault it too much for that. Interesting Wikipedia entry note for this album: "Walking Wounded marked a change in the duo's approach to writing songs. Ben Watt produced various instrumental tracks, while Tracey Thorn wrote lyrics after listening to the completed tracks. In producing the tracks, Watt utilized samples from sources such as Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren" and Stan Tracey's "Starless and Bible Black." Standouts: Before Today, Single, Walking Wounded, Mirrorball, Wrong - Todd Terry Remix
Unmemorable.
It started at a 3, went up to a 4, but then started to drag. 52 minutes is to long, it would be perfect at about 38.
If you like the sound of any of their radio singles, you'll enjoy this. It's basically one long song, but it's a good one.
Perfectly pleasant to listen to but nothing that made me perk up. Sort of electronic with a hint of trip hop.
Fine synthy pop. The dance stuff at the beginning was better than the soft acoustic stuff later in the album
Smooth sounding, dancey, club music without the harsh pounding beat. The vocals are almost soothing, with enough “pop-sound” to make it broadly appealing.
It was nice easy listening, but not a single track really attracted my attention.
Kinda reminds me of Dido. Not sure what the big deal is.
Meh. Good background study/work music. Not a fav, but didn't dislike.
It's alright. She has a nice voice. Reminds me a little of Portishead. Not a big fan of the electronica though. 3 stars.
2.8 not bad but nothing special. first time hearing the band i believe. listened 2x
Not really my Jam, but kinda trip hoppy in places
malo pre mellow za mene
Dido otkrila napredne sintisajzer matrice. Onak fora je, bar 3.5
Hard to rate, I didn’t hate it. The sound was somewhat novel and had some character to it. Not something I’d reach for everyday. Not unlike cider.
3.3 I kept waiting for "Waiting" to play but it never came on. That being said I enjoyed the ambient tone of the album, will check out their other work
Its fine. Her voice is very lovely. Laid back ekectro beats. Similar tempos All the scenarios I imagine it playing are in tbe background which is not that flattering.
It was good background music while working and the house.
Understated mellow 90s electronica. Moody but with a beat. I liked it then. I like it now.
Good, early d&b
Ultra-electronic - a little disconnected-feeling, maybe. The only obvious human elements are acoustic guitars and vocals, and the former unfortunately only appears on some of the weaker tracks. Walking Wounded and Before Today are highlights for purely atmospheric reasons (by my normal, heavily instrument-based standards, they wouldn't be standouts). The percussion in the album is about as solid as electronic drums can get, but heavily limit the songs' potential. Unfortunately, as a general rule, electronic drums suck the life out of a track, and this album is no exception. The vocalist is clearly strong, but I feel she doesn't express as much emotion as she could. The singing is a little restrained, playing it safe in terms of both melody and range. Alright, I've dunked on this album enough. The pros: the textures are fresh and reasonably unique for their time, the lyrics are pretty strong, and there's this indescribable warmth present. For all the sins it commits, it's surprisingly good.
It sounds a little of it's time now. Certainly the Todd Terry remix of "Wrong" was a club night staple and gave this record a significant bump in terms of sales. Tracy Thorn has a gorgeous voice and it suit the laid back chill sound.
Vocal lastiges Dance/Pop Album mit einigen TripHop Einflüssen, welches in teilen durchaus interessantes zu bieten hat, im gesamten allerding klar sein alter zeigt. 2,5 Sterne
It was alright, not a lot stood out. Liked the vocals though.
I was waiting for ‘Miss You’ but it’s not even on this album! Very samey album but pretty good
Good album. Not really what I'm into but mostly enjoyable.
Groovy album had me tapping my tootsies but no stand out songs so gotta stick with a 3-3.5
After being given an unlikely second wind, Everything But the Girl took advantage of the situation whilst walking wounded. The gambit mostly pays off, marrying Tracey Thorn's trademark soothing vocals with the trip-hop inspired beats from longtime band mate/life partner Ben Watt. It may become monotonous at times but attention never waivers. The deserts did need rain after all. P.S., this is not Bayside's The Walking Wounded. 🙄 Favorites: Before Today, Wrong, Single, The Heart Remains a Child, Big Deal, Mirrorball, Good Cop Bad Cop.
If one doesn't like electronic music, they might not like this. I however DO like electronic music, and I like this. It's interesting how the album kind of changed genre several times, starting as bold sexy-time music, moving to roller rink music (maybe still sexy-time for some?), settled into a not-quite-trance generic EDM feel, and then shifted to a folksy electronic tone akin to Dido (which is always a winning combo in my book.) To see it described by some as trip hop surprises me, because to me it feels more in the family of La Bouche or Real McCoy than Portishead or Massive Attack. I wavered between three and four while rating this. While I like it, I don't love it, so I don't really want to elevate it as equal with other fours. But then, I am almost positive I will listen to this again—and soon—so that makes me lean toward a four.
Solid if unspectacular. Sounds like what you would hear in a Hollister store 20 years ago, but I don't hold that against it.
Like many people of my generation, I went through an Everything but the Girl phase in the 1990s. Tracey Thorn's voice is beautifully haunting, I'm a fan of the mellow sound, and there's a morose atmosphere that is quite soothing, really, as much of an oxymoron "morose" and "soothing" are when put together. But I didn't stick with Everything but the Girl and frankly I'm not going to pick them up again. The album is boring and reminiscent of elevator music. Can't pick a favorite song because they're all indistinguishable.
Parece música de balada de novela das 21h no inicio dos anos 2000. Me dá vibes de calça de cintura baixa, jeans com lavagem esquisita e cabelo espetado com gel, mas não é ruim.
I am very fond of Tracey Thorn's vocals, and they are featured nicely here. Very cool compositions and arrangements to support her. I don't usually listen to this style of music, and I'm glad this album showed up today to make me give it a try. I like it a lot.
If Stella Artois is the reference point for all lager - it can be weaker or stronger, better or worse - this album is the reference point for every dance/d and b inflected coffee table album of the nineties. Portishead miles better, a Leffe perhaps. Morcheeba miles worst - Carling. Needless to say, it deserves 2.5 stars. But I will reluctantly round up.
This album represents a genre that I've definitely heard before, but not one that I would be able to identify in words. There's definite nostalgia here, but this album really feels like a bit of a time machine. It sounds like the Matrix coming out, or one of those old Sonic spin-off games. It gets a lot of novelty for me there, but I can't give it too much praise beyond that. Highlight: Mirrorball Lowlight: Walking Wounded - Omni Trio Mix Surprise Hit: Good Cop, Bad Cop
Not for me.
Fun music but sounds like anything you would hear in a club. Maybe everything after imitated this?
Fashion week musik! The xx i 90erne! Ærlig talt, jeg elsker lyden, men det bliver stadig lige ensformigt nok.
Great
After the surprise success of "Missing", EBTG decided to shift away from their sophisti-pop stylings and lean way into modern electronic techniques. I like this one a lot better for it. Tracy Thorn's voice fits so, so well over these (for further proof, check out her appearing on the Massive Attack song "Protection"), but the problem I have is they're too cool and subtle. They make great music, but it never demands attention. It renders this record into pleasant, but unfortunate, background noise a lot. Favorite tracks: "Wrong", "Flipside"
the ‘deserts miss the rain’ group. ok, like the vocalist
Trip-hop Dido. I enjoyed this album, it had a nice flow to it and the vocals are really nice. Songs are varied and interesting and the whole thing clocks in at a respectable 40-something minutes.
I find this album to just be a better executed version of what Madonna tried to do a couple years later with Ray of Light. It's still relatively boring here, but there's more actual interesting beats here, and it went by a lot faster. I feel like this album just is good at feeling like a more vocal heavy version of a vocal track on one of the electronic artists' albums from a few years earlier, and that makes it more interesting. Still don't get including remixed tracks on the main tracklist, that's annoying.
enjoyable, mellow album
Elektronisk, new wave pop, god vokal
No nyt ainakin on selvää mistä Kemopetrol on kopioinut koko soundinsa. Tässä kyllä maistuu ysärin ja vuosituhannen vaihde todella tiukasti! Mutta jollain omituisella tyylillä diggailen kyllä tästä. Menee taustamusana aika kivasti jopa. 3/5
Freesiä kaiken rockin keskellä. Minusta simppelit biisit on tässä tosi hyviä, esim The Heart Remains.. ja Mirrorball. Mutta kokeellisemmat biitit vähän vanhentuneet. 3,5/5.
Ihan cool levy, mut ei ehkä omaan makuun ihan täysin. Sanotaan 3.5/5
These vocals can get monotonous after a while. All their albums have the same problem of being repetitive and unexciting. I’ve given them enough chances and they always fail to wow me, which is disappointing because they are good, but won’t experiment. 3/5
Ok, easy listening
Heckin Meh.
I loved the earlier acoustic songs of EBTG and Tracy's voice (and Ben's too) is sublime. I love the vibe of this album however this is all about Todd Terry. It could be any acoustic duo he chose to produce. This is his album. Still, it's nice to listen to however and still one of the best covers of any album I know.
I listened while doing other things and I thought not bad background music.
Not bad
Hm, ja, leuk, maar waar is de hit? De muzikale trip kabbelt door en het klinkt best leuk, maar hun bekende nummer is... 'ontbrekend' zullen we maar zeggen.
A pleasant enough listen - just enough electro and acoustic and nice vocals and easy charm to keep me bopping along, but not overly enthused. I was more into Oasis and lad rock at this time.
It's a solid album and a real nostalgia hit at the same time. They were very popular for a while in the '90s and it does take me back to that. That said, I did find myself wishing that I was just listening to Portishead instead.
Pleasant enough, but sort of drifts into the background. I'd probably revisit down the road.
chill and downtempo, but pretty boring i feel like. wasn't a huge fan of her voice but the production was pretty cool i guess Rating - 5.4 Favs - Walking Wounded - Before Today - Flipside
Tracey Thorne over drum-and-bass was just what I wanted. It sounded a lot like Dido (but obviously predated it). I liked it a lot.
Trance hop dance music!
It was good. Nice and relaxing.
classic EBTG, someone loves them
I liked it more than I thought I would. The music was pretty soothing
5/10. Booooooring
I forgot how popular this trip-hop adjacent stuff was in the late 90s. It’s far better than that other Everything… album but nothing notable. Would be decent as ambience in a trendy coffee shop.
HL: “Before Today”, “The Heart Remains a Child”, title track There’s a certain dichotomy between bands that deserve to be on The List but aren’t really my jam, versus bands I can get down to but are questionable entries on The List. Guess which one this is? There’s only one Billy Joel album on the list btw
great music. very solid album
I enjoyed their earlier stuff more, but still of good album.
Not my type of music to crank and have a real connection to but it was a nice vibe to relax too. Singing was good and the production was really good and seemed ahead of it’s time for 90s music
90s electronic pop chill
Nice chill album.
I usually haven’t liked music like this before, but I thought this one was quality trance music. I bet my dad would like this one actually
Singles: ------------------------------------ Walking Wounded (#6 UK) Wrong (#68 US, #8 UK) Single (#20 UK) Before Today (#25 UK) Standouts: Before Today, Others: Wrong, Single, Walking Wounded.
It's okay, I'm not a fan of much electronica dance music so I can't say I'd listen again, but the girl's vocals are refreshing and the beats are fine. I don't love it, but I don't hate it. 3/5
I liked at the beggining pero conforme avanzaba lo sentí como igual
Not great but I don’t mind it
Pretty good stuff. It's nice to have on in the background, even if there's nothing memorable about it.
som legalzinho, ambiente, criativo
PRetty good. First half was great. I liked the bad cop song on the second half a lot. But overall, not my favorite genre.
Crazy another album I don’t remember every hearing or seeing music videos for, but they ran ads for on MuchMusic all the time when it music have come out.
Smooth atmospheric music that drifts along nicely. Nothing groundbreaking here but just well crafted songs. Thorn has a nice soothing voice that accommodates music like this very good! 7 out of 10
He de reconèixer que al seu moment la música del duo no m'arribava; més aviat al contrari, em provocava cert rebuig. Però amb el temps transcorregut, cal admetre que discos com el present excel.leixen en el seu génere. Atmosfèric, amb unes bases hipnòtiques i la veu encara més hipnòtica de Tracey Horn. Perfecte per una estona de chill out amb cos i ànima. I moments com 'Single', 'Wrong' o 'Walking Wounded' t'absorbeixen dins el seu univers sonor
Now this is something completely different. Drum n’ Bass was a huge force in electronic music in the 90s, so to mix it with EBTG’s sophisti-pop is definitely not what I expected to hear. Is it good? Yeah. The music’s nice. But not much is really there to grab the listener’s attention. It almost feels like this album was specifically designed to be non-offensive background music playing at some retail store in the mall. And yet, the lyrics are surprisingly somber and touching. Not as low as musak, but not really a record to come back to. It definitely has a couple good revisits for relaxing with your partner. Standout Songs: “Wrong” “Walking Wounded”
A pleasant listen and also features lyrics about the Holderness coastline. Though they are from Hull so I shouldn’t be too surprised about that.
Enjoyable progression of electronic music
A very nostalgic feeling 90s drum and bass electronic album with 2 remixes right on the standard edition. Very weird that they aren't deluxe version bonuses or something and I personally don't like listening to remixes as an albums closer... it just seems weird. They were pretty good though especially the 2nd one. I really liked the opening and title tracks. I overall enjoyed it but personally don't feel like I'd be listening to it on my own time, it's very close to 4 stars. Just not quite there for me. Score: 70. Album art: 70
It's fine, I probably wouldn't put it on specifically to listen to it but it's fine for the background, for a while
Very 90’s Chill Electronic, feels like I’m in a food court in a mall in the late 90’s. First time listening to the whole thing, knew one maybe two songs already but a very easy listen, not what I listen to on a daily basis but nice album!
Has some grooves that make it a solid evening/ breakup album. It’s silky smooth too. Doesn’t sound dated either despite being nearly 30 years old. The sound is minimalist, just the right amount of vocals and beats. Not a classic, but definitely enjoyable for repeat listens. 3.5 but I’ll round down because I can’t think of anything else to say about it.
Okay not my fave some good songs in there
Merely decent.
Very neat downtempo, electronica stuff. A type of music I really need to give more thought to. Not what I expected, since my perceived notion of them was definitely more folky indie music. A very interesting listen with several really good tracks. Always sonically interesting but I do start to lose it when the song structure breaks so often. Also kind of a slog towards the middle pacing-wise.
Having listened to Everything But The Girl's earlier work, it was kind of jarring to hear the change in style. Jazz-influenced guitar and horns was replaced by house music. Nevertheless, her voice remains fantastic, and this album was certainly revolutionary to the genre.
Expected to hate it, but I was wrong.
Generous 3. Could see myself enjoying it late at night but didn’t grab me
I was hoping this had their massive hit on it but it's ...missing.
I gave this more of a passive listen. So much so that when the 'Wrong - Todd Terry Remix' came on, I thought to myself, "wow, why do I recognize this chorus?". I may have written this note before, but I don't listen to much electronic music, so any of it sounds pretty very new to me. At points, I kind of recognized or felt some sounds were similar to the William Orbit we heard before, so maybe I'm familiarizing myself a little. I don't know if you'd put them in the same genre or category. If not, I would like to know. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. I don't want to say I'm completely neutral on it, but I guess I am. I'd even say it's somewhere between 2 and 3, and will take the 3 in the end.
This is not what I thought Everything But the Girl sounded like at all! I thought they were a rock band, not a drum and bass trip-hop thing! Interesting. Pleasant enough background music, but to be honest, it doesn't do much for me. It sounded very '90s, and not in any way that is nostalgic to me in any way.
Pas mauvais, mais un peu trop pareil tout le long, comme majorité des albums trip hop que j'ai écouté
It was ok.
Completely ignored when it came out. I was just arriving on Planet Britpop - guitars only to that point with the Bristol Trip Hop exception. The warmth which later culminated in the Kruder&Dorfmeister lounge is very pleasent. Tracy‘s voice so beautifully melancholic; at that time I didn‘t pay attention That this is something special but not only it is: her voice also holds everything tightly together. Production doesn‘t surprise but also shows a lot of details to be found and loved. Everything together gives me that impression of a clean pop production which I despised then but can definitely appreciate now. The depth is still a bit too non-swimmer level which results into just a strong 3
Strange, not terrible, just strange
Y’know. I liked the beats on offer here. And I’m not usually into Dance stuff.
I've never really purposefully listened to Everything But the Girl and don't really know anything about them... I am sure I recognise some of these tracks from 90s film soundtracks and it's very massive attack, zero 7 vibes which I love. Super chilled and nostalgic. A great example of a type of music I'm already into so happy to discover this album. However, I would prefer to have some more catchy parts or unusual sounds/beats in there somewhere otherwise it's really nice but maybe a bit inconsequential then on the other hand I'm sure it was a very informative sound for other bands of that era.
I thought her voice was a bit like Dido and I like Dido. Not as poppy though, which is good because there's only room for one Dido in my life.
I liked the flow of the album. Overall it was good, but not great. 3/5
I'm not a big fan of Electronica, but this wasn't terrible. It wasn't great either. Kind of boring, but still pleasant enough. Good background music. The lyrics were pretty whiny "why don't you love me" stuff.
suave, pensé que me iba a copar más
A very pleasant way to spend an hour.
Très agréable, belle voix. Un peu tranquille et monocorde pour moi par contre
90s as fuck. Chill and easy to listen to.
Good start with a sharp dropoff towards the mid/end of the album
EBTG venture into Drum & Bass and Trip hop. OK, but far from their best work.
Listened to on 10/30/22 3.5/5 Favorite song: wrong Very easy to listen to and the vocalist is incredibly talented but the songs were a bit repetitive
Dance. Roxette vibes
Ok
It was okay.
Decent 90s trip hop. I must say I enjoyed my way through despite the cringy lyrics since the beats are very catchy. Definitely better in the first half tho. First Listen?: Y Fav. Tracks: Walking Wounded, Flipside Rating: 2.8/5
This album makes me think I'm shopping at The Gap. I've missed that feeling ... like the desert's missed the rain.
I waxed and waned, enjoyed most, but was turned off by some. When it comes down to it, I could listen to this album all the way through with some enthusiasm.
mmmm love the bassey sound and breakbeats. some songs are kinda monotone so far but still pretty funky. knew i recognised the vocalist from massive attack. Some lyrics are kinda corny. Everything kinda sounds the same 7/10
Hmm I listened to another one of their albums because of this album generator and wasn't really feeling it but this seems less "soft-pop" compared to Idlewild. Some sampling and stuff going on which is more interesting to me. Kind of reminds me of 90s minimal triphop/electronic sound. I would not have even guessed that this is the same group that made Idlewild. I much prefer this style.
Hearing this album makes me feel like a gargoyle on the top of a dilapidated building. Longing for someone to simply look up as they pass by.