Cons: A lot of mediocre offerings, repetition, synthesizers.
The Bottom Line: Not an album for all listeners, Walking Wounded lacks creativity and purpose. Look elsewhere in the EBTG discography before buying this album.
lambchops's Full Review: Walking Wounded by Everything But The Girl
I’ll be the first to admit that it takes much too long for me to be exposed to various artists. For example, I first recall hearing Everything But The Girl after the single Missing made a splash on charts around the world. Little did I know in 1994 or 1995 that the English duo had actually been together since 1982. But I wasn’t alone in my discovery…
It seems that Americans in the early and mid-1990’s were still rather wrapped up in the whole Seattle movement (or grunge as it’s commonly known). I was certainly an avid fan of everything from that era. Anyway, when Everything But The Girl appeared, their sound was a release from the usually dour and depressing (and brilliant) rock. Appreciated widely on college radio, the duo consisting of Tracy Thorn and Ben Watt became renowned in other circles for their alternative take on dance music.
If I had to really nail down a descriptor of Everything But The Girl, I’d say that they are a funkier, more sophisticated kind of trip-hop crossed with textured and thumping indie pop. In all, a fantastic combination of elements. The easiest way to describe Everything But The Girl is to compare them to other contemporaries. They are a sophisticated electronic dance-pop sort of duo sonically similar to other bands like Hooverphonic, Olive, Massive Attack, and Sneaker Pimps. They are cheerier than trip-hop peers like Portishead and more talented than Lamb. Fans of any one of the six bands just mentioned are best advised to check out this sometimes forgotten duo.
Anyway, Everything But The Girl debuted in 1984 with Eden many albums followed including the nearly-brilliant 1988 effort Idlewild. As the years passed, the two became more comfortable and apparently more inspired. During the mid- and late-1990’s, Everything But The Girl recorded and released no fewer than three critically lauded albums.
The first of these popular discs was 1994’s Amplified Heart…the album that I first was exposed to thanks to Missing. What followed was 1996’s Walking Wounded and 1999’s Temperamental. Most recently, Hull and Thorn put in their two cents with the Back To Mine series. Despite my earliest recollections of Missing, it was Walking Wounded that I first acquired.
Walking Wounded is often considered to be a relative masterpiece from Everything But The Girl. I’m not convinced that the album deserves this kind of title. In fact, a few of the eleven tracks on the album convince me otherwise. Of course, there are brilliant and kinetic tracks. On the other hand, some songs drag on for much too long and end up feeling repetitive and thusly boring. It’s my opinion that the two have in the past made better collaborations (Idlewild and Amplified Heart both come to mind) and that the aforementioned contemporaries better represent electronica.
With that nastiness out of the way, I want to note that Walking Wounded is an average outing. Of course much of that minor success is due to a few songs including Wrong (and the remix), Before Today, and the title track Walking Wounded (and the remix). Problems arise when attempting to digest tracks like Good Cop Bad Cop, Big Deal and Mirrorball. As much as I want to enjoy ever millisecond of the album, I cannot. It’s just not my taste. I want more heart and more emotion in many of the songs…they are too detached and too dispassionate. Thorn’s voice lacks passion too often and Watt’s production is too electronic. It couldn’t hurt to include the occasional “real” instrument…a guitar, horn, or drum. There is only so much that can creatively be done with a synthesizer.
One song that is successful in combining electronica and vocals is Wrong. Dance beats surround Thorn’s dry and unconventional lyrical delivery. While this combination fails more often than I would like on Walking Wounded, I’m happy to report that Wrong is a great track. It represents one of the few kinds of dance music that I can stomach. I have much less interest in the lyrics than I do the relentless beats. Watt does have an ear for dance beats. Beginning quietly and then breaking into rhythmic phrases, the track resonates nicely and is easily one of the best dance tracks in recent memory.
Before Today, the introductory track, is as equally lovely. Though probably not quite as accessible as more popular Everything But The Girl songs on this album and other releases, this track is undeniably creative and worthwhile. Lightly wavering, the track begins and builds with evocative beats and synthesized melodies blending almost naturally with Thorn’s restrained and intelligent vocals.
The third and final track I particularly enjoy is Walking Wounded. The robotic whirrs and tweaks at the beginning are a bit annoying, but when Watt’s synthesized strings are layered on top and Thorn’s vocals are added to the mix the song becomes clear. Emotional and light, the track is given a dash of attitude with the thumping drum machines. Once again, the lyrics aren’t particularly useful…they seem to be a window dressing.
What annoys me most about this album is that it seems insincere. I know that Watt and Thorn are talented. Their skills have over the years become increasingly evident. But what I wish is that they would simply add a few real instead of studio effects. The test of a truly gifted artist is the ability to effectively utilize various elements in a studio setting and to not just have the ability to sit in front of a keyboard and get “creative.” This is what most disappoints me about Walking Wounded…Everything But The Girl wasted their talent.
Those three good tracks are unfortunately the only even minor positive points of the album. I’m bored and annoyed by the vast majority of these songs. Even the creative outpouring of Flipside can’t prevent the aural pain caused by the Atari-esque noise of Big Deal. It pains me to find such displeasure with this often-lauded album. I suspect that I’m just not meant to enjoy dance. If you’re in search of truly talented acts of this genre, please look elsewhere. Unless you are a massive fan of Everything But The Girl or dance tracks don’t pick up Walking Wounded. I’m enormously let down by the 1996 Atlantic release.
Rating: 3/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Before Today
02. Wrong
03. Single
04. The Heart Remains a Child
05. Walking Wounded
06. Flipside
07. Big Deal
08. Mirrorball
09. Good Cop Bad Cop
10. Wrong [Todd Terry Remix]
11. Walking Wounded [Omin Trio Remix]
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