Everything But The Girl release ‘Fuse’, their first album in over 20 years

Fans of Everything But The Girl have certainly had to show a large amount of patience during the prolonged time since the group was last active in the late 90s. The duo, and married couple, consisting of Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt, had stepped away from the project at the turn of the century to focus on solo works and other endeavors over the last twenty years.

The extended hiatus was brought to an end when Thorn took to Twitter in November of 2022 to announce that a new Everything But The Girl album had been recorded and the first single, Nothing Left To Lose, was released in January of this year.  With anticipation building with every new single, the group met and exceeded expectations as fans awaited the April 21st release date of the duo’s new album, Fuse.  With such a prolonged period away from Everything But The Girl, there was trepidation from the members at the start, but Watt notes how the creative process ultimately became second nature:

“It was exciting. A natural dynamism developed. We spoke in short-hand, and little looks, and co-wrote instinctively. It became more than the sum of our two selves. It just became Everything But The Girl on its own.”

Over the course of its 10 tracks and 35-minute run time, Thorn and Watt share vocal duties, narrating a wide range of human emotions and constructs over lush, yet powerful productions.  When You Mess Up is haunting in every aspect of the track, discussing the times we all fall short in life as a subtle lead drifts through the speakers, and Thorn’s vocals are transformed into a robot to further drive home the isolation sometimes felt.  The track is followed up by Time And Time Again, and although the lyrical themes still have dark reverberations, the upbeat rhythm and melody instantly overwhelm the listener.

Everything But The Girl has lost none of their power and emotion in the years since they were last active, but what they have gained is perspective and knowledge, which is felt across the entirety of Fuse.

Be sure to check out the new release from Everything But The Girl and let’s hope that it won’t be an other 20 years before they release their next album.

Image Credit: <a href=”https://edwardbishop.me/”>Edward Bishop