Everything but the Girl "Fuse" (2023)

Fuse

release date: Apr. 21, 2023

format: vinyl (LTD. green vinyl) + digital (10 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,80]

producer: EBTG

label: Buzzin' Fly / Virgin Music / Verve - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Nothing Left to Lose" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Caution to the Wind" - 4. "When You Mess Up" - 6. "No One Knows We're Dancing" - 7. "Lost" (4 / 5) - 8. "Forever" - 10. "Karaoke"

11th studio album following Temperamental by more than 23 years!!! Yes! The waiting game is over - it's finally here! I received this the day after its official release. And it still feels a bit early to hand a 'fixed' grade, and I may change it over the following months. The album has quite naturally been met by positive response. Alone the wait secures this a decent response, though, it's damn nice that not all artists wait that long in between albums. Both Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt have released solo albums since what was until now seen as their final album as a duo, and they have both experienced some artistic success, although, their key brand is EBTG.

Now, if the cover art doesn't exactly look and feel like an EBTG album, the music surely does. In every possible way this is an album for people who love this duo - for what their legacy means. It appears to combine [the fuse?] almost all their stylistic variations from jazzy bits, a great deal of sophisti-pop and parts of their late electronic period. In that way, it doesn't bring about something extraordinary or introduce us to a new move. Where Walking Wounded (1996) was a major step into electronic clubland and Temperamental (1999) kicked in doors to new combinations, this one takes off as a more gentle kind. Not that EBTG has ever been 'hard' or extreme, it's obvious to point to a maturity, when in fact it's probably more the result of a condensed expression - highlighting many of the styles they have been involved with. Or: at least these are my personal initial thoughts 'cause they really sound like EBTG without hitting a copy / paste function.

"Nothing Left to Lose" is a monster of a song that brings to mind the very best from their late period, but again, it's not a copy but something that brings the band into a new era. It's really wonderful to have another album from this highly influential duo. Watt knows about colouring the mix and Thorn... well, she just blows you over with her enchanting vocal. Strong as ever. Again. I already love it!

Highly recommended.

[ 👉allmusic.com, Mojo, NME 4 / 5, Pitchfork 7,7 / 10, Clash 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Scatterbrain "Strip the Future" (1983), single

Strip the Future, 12'' single
release date: 1983
format: vinyl (neu 80-4405)
[single rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Scatterbrain
label: Neuland Tonträger - nationality: Denmark

Tracklist: A) "Strip the Future" - - B) 1. "Diversity" - 2. "Angry Young Men"

Single release by Danish experimental electro-synth and synth rock band Scatterbrain following the release of the album Keep Dancing (Aug. 1981). The line-up has been expanded with keyboardists Jesper Ranum, who took part in the follow-up tour of the album release, and also with Michael Kastrup Hansen. For this recording, also Henrik Heigren and Anders Brill (from Kliche) contribute.
The single was originally released in '82 as a 7'' single on Irmgardz... with this 12'' single consisting of new recordings and new arrangements made for the German market. After this, the line-up changed again with Ranum leaving the band, and drummer Gorm Ravn-Jonsen (later in Gangway) was shortly a new member, then Anders Brill was promoted to new stable drummer togeher with Torben Kirkholt (of Næste Uges TV), and as the band then released its final album Mountains Go Rhythmic (1984) this was made with actual drummers, thus representing a change of sound, which in essence was what would later be labeled as industrial rock, and in that regard the band has as an important part in shaping new stylistic foundation somewhere in the outskirts of new wave and synthpop.

Love Shop "Blues Europa" (2023)

Blues Europa

release date: Oct. 13, 2023

format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,55]

producer: Mikkel Damgård

label: Risiko Records - nationality: Denmark

14th studio album by Danish project Love Shop is yet another ambitious chapter in the band's long and winding career. The album showcase the familiar mix of melancholic tunes and lyrical depth that has come to charachterise Love Shop on their most recent albums. It's garnered with a original sound and with thought-provoking narratives, which just seems to stick to the profile of project-leader Jens Unmack.

Right from the start, you sense the special nostalgic mood and that unique reflectiveness Unmack is so sharp on. These new songs only miss some of the potent power of a recognisable touch and the album does feel less impactful compared to their last three albums. The predecessor, Levende mænd i døde forhold (Oct. 2021), was perhaps most notable for its lyrical depth and together with Brænder boksen med smukke ting (Mar. 2019) and Risiko (Mar. 2017) this trilogy all showcase well-crafted arrangements and emotional weight, cementing these as vintage years and also as some of the band's finest records. Blues Europa doesn’t fully replicate this tendency with the fourth in a row, though lyrically strong, it lacks some originality that are the trademarks of the predecessors.

On a national scale, the album has been met by what appears as universal acclaim, and as I do feel that it certainly provides a strong listen with tracks reflecting on themes of European identity and where the ambition is clear, I just sense that there's something in the execution that feels forced, making parts come out more like statements rather than a genuine musical journey. For all its minor flaws, Blues Europa still showcases fine moments, reminding fans why they love Love Shop in the first place. There's no big surprises in that regard - perhaps there's a sensation of going down well-known paths that makes it too evident, in a way. In the end, though, it's still an album worth exploring, especially for loyal followers of the band, who will probably see it as a confirmation of sorts, even if it doesn’t quite live up to the standards set by their recent works. I'm a bit doubtful about a conclusive grade, as I have come across some very positive reviews, and still, I'm not a convinced fan and have so far settled my mind on 3,5 out of 5 stars, as I feel that it doesn't reach the level of the most recent three, which in the end puts it more alongside Kærlighed og straf from 2014.

[ Gaffa.dk, Politiken 5 / 6 stars ]