release date: Jun. 2, 1992
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]
producer: EBTG
label: Blanco y Negro - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 2. "Tougher Than the Rest" (Springsteen) - 4. "Alison" (Costello) - 5. "Downtown Train" (Waits) - 6. "Driving" (Watt) - 9. "Me and Bobby D" - 11. "Fascination" (Live)
7th studio album by Everything but the Girl is something else as half of the songs are cover-versions, the other half either written together or solely by Watt or Thorn, and for being - as the title suggest - a collection of acoustic-arranged songs played with minimal instrumentation. Furthermore, the album contains two songs recorded live.
The album is truly something else than Worldwide from 1991. What comes to mind when presented with a new album release by EBTG is that it's most likely nothing else than their most recent album, and you end up thinking that they seem very unfocused / uncertain of which direction to turn, or: Are they in fact just releasing the songs in the styles they feel like - despite what critics or fans may expect? This is something new, and as such something that older fans will appreciate more than fans of their (big band) sophisti-pop releases.
I like it, 'cause I enjoy their music when it's most simple and you're able to feel the sensations and sincerity of Thorn and Watt.
[ allmusic.com 2,5 / 5 stars ]
