Everything But the Girl is a group I have loved for many years. I got to see them play live at the Metro in Sydney years ago, and it was brilliant. I revisit their albums a lot, so it seemed fitting that this week's Top 5 list goes to the amazing duo, Everything But the Girl.
EBTG have had quite an interesting evolution, different shades of acoustic until they discovered a very sophisticated electronic sound and they began to have the worldwide hits that they truly deserved.
Now most of my list is from the post electronic sound era. That was when I discovered them and really listened to their work like a religious experience. These are five amazing tracks, so naturally some good stuff had to miss out. These great tracks included, "Five Fathoms", which is probably six on my list. "Single" is a great track, as is "Mirrorball". "Low Tide of the Night" gives me all the feels, and the Todd Terry remix of "Driving" is exquisite.
So now to the big five, love these tracks. Remember to tell me your favourite Everything But the Girl tracks in the comments section below.
5 - Temperamental
It was a hard decision choosing between this and "Five Fathoms" as I adore both songs. The whole "Temperamental" album is sublime, but this is the track from the album I have revisited the most. The beat is incredibly rich and infectious and Tracey Thorn's voice is as beautiful as ever. I love how understated the vocals are, and the lyrics make me sing along. Great stuff.
4 - I Don't Want To Talk About It
This beautiful acoustic cover of a track best known for its version by Rod Stewart was the biggest hit in the UK for the duo before "Missing". It is quite simply beautiful. Ben Watts' instrumentation is stunning and Thorn's vocals are inspiring. After getting into EBTG after "Missing" I went back to discover their back catalogue and this song spoke to me, I still love to listen to it all the time.
3 - Walking Wounded
This song reminds me of my 21st. It sounds strange because it is such a melancholic track, but it has a happy memory. I desperately wanted this album, and a friend gave it to me for my 21st and it's one of my favourite memories, clearly I wanted this album badly - and I was not let down! This track perfectly inhabits the mid 90s electronic / drum & bass sound with that brilliant sparse beat. And the longing in Tracey's voice is exquisite. Such a wonderfully emotive track.
2 - Wrong
"Wrong" was always the most commercial sounding track on the "Walking Wounded" album, with a more pop / house sound. The longing in this track is what I adore. The lyrics are an apology, and you can't help but feel that yearning in Thorn's voice. What a wonderful track this is, listening to it again this morning made my heart sing.
1 - Missing (Todd Terry Remix)
I was playing this song at work this week and was busted singing along (not that I ever care), and a woman said to me, "Aren't Everything But the Girl so good? I was listening to them on the weekend." To that random lady, you are awesome. Not only did that make me decide to do this list, but it made me go back and listen to their music again. This is their most famous track, and rightly so. The Todd Terry Remix is their crossroad, this is where they went from acoustic to electronic. This is an incredible song. There's a hopelessness to the lyrics, a yearning that makes you sympathise and understand. The instrumentation is brilliant and I'm sure I've danced along to this song while crying over a lost love. Incredible stuff!
What's your favourite Everything But the Girl track? Tell me in the comments section below.
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