Customer Reviews

Out of the Woods

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Tracey Thorn is a name that's virtually synonymous with quality. Her distinct voice has provided memorable focal points for Everything But The Girl and Massive Attack (not to mention others), before she disappeared from the scene for five years to raise a family.

She now returns with her first solo material in almost 25 years (since "A Distant Shore)" with the excellent "Out Of The Woods". Her prime collaborator is Ewan Pearson, whose peerless track record in contemporary clubland has led from early work for leading techno label, Soma, to his current status of remixer-du-jour for the likes of Goldfrapp and the Pet Shop Boys from his home base in Berlin.

The result is an album that stretches Thorn's vocals to exemplary effect, from the quiet, sensitive reflection of her Massive Attack era, to the more clubland-focused Everything But The Girl style.

I was a little bit worried when I heard lead single "It's All True", a song that tries to capture moments of late '70s disco and dance floor pop but which doesn't work as seamlessly as it sounds. Thorn's vocals remain enchanting but the disco, techno-tinged beats sound dated and cheesy, adding fuel to the suspicion that the whole retro vibe is starting to sound stale.

Had the rest of the album followed the same formula, it could have been a massive disappointment. Fortunately, it doesn't and "It's All True" is a rare misfire.

Opening track "Here It Comes Again" is a reflective intro built around subtle chimes and organs, and a whispered set of vocals that feel like they might fracture if you get too close. It's an enchanting introduction and a breathtaking reminder of Thorn's beautifully evocative vocals. The strings, too, work wonders.

"A-Z" is a little more Everything But The Girl-like, dropping a smooth beat and some lush electronics over the top of some foreboding lyrics about "growing up in small town hell" and kids still bullying each other. It contains some '80s overtones during some of the synth stabs but it works really well.

There's a snappy, disco vibe surrounding "Get Around To It" that works much better than "It's All True", before "Hands Up To The Ceiling "strips things down to more chilled out levels.

The tinkling pianos are lovely, the sultry vocals utterly intoxicating and the gentle background acoustic guitar licks pitched just perfectly. It's a firm highlight.

Similarly enchanting is the heartbreaking "By Piccadilly Station I Sat Down And Wept", a tender weepie that's achingly beautiful. Thorn's vocals hint at the timeless quality of Karen Carpenter, while the orchestration is exquisite, working well with her vocals without ever intruding.

"Easy" is another terrific offering, beginning with a cinematic keyboard that's extremely evocative and which gives rise to an atmospheric effort that recalls more of Massive Attack's sensibilities.

And "Falling Off A Log" is another confidently delivered mid-tempo recording that's full of reflective lyrics and moody beats and instrumentation.

Come the album closer, "Raise The Roof", which hints at both Queen's "Radio Ga-Ga" and the general style of The Eurythmics you'll be singing Thorn's praises once again and hoping that it won't take another five years before she lays down any more recordings.

"Out Of The Woods", in short, is a brilliant comeback from an artist who seldom fails to impress

For her first solo CD since 1982's "A Distant Shore," Everything But The Girl frontwoman and the guest vocalist on scores of dance tunes Tracey Thorn has come up with a collection that is firmly rooted in her past but seldom repetitive of it.

Tracey serves notice on the opener "Here It Comes Again" that, in fact, the same old thing you might have expected from her is not coming again at all. This song is very simple and lovely, delicately sung with a beautiful string arrangement. She follows with "A-Z," a thematic modern day version of the Beatles' "She's Leaving Home" about escaping from "small town hell" sung with the same sort of lovely resignation the Fab Four brought to their tune. This song is also the first example on the CD of how electronica can be crafted into a very humanistic sound. This humanizing continues with the more forceful "It's All True" and the sexual come on of "Get Around To It" in which electronica meets the New Romantic poppiness of Haircut 100 which brings it heart and joy.

The rest of the CD pretty much follows the same formula with the warm vocals and wise lyrics providing a unifying threads such as the low key "Falling Off A Log" in which the singer realizes they've been in love with the wrong one and the counter-intuitive "Raise The Roof" with its "Why did I wait/don't tell me it's too late) refrain.

If you only want the Everything But The Girl Tracey Thorn skip right to "Grand Canyon" which talks about "the hole inside your heart no one can ever fill."

In my opinion, Tracey Thorn is the anti-Annie Lennox (who I love) in that whenever given the option to go over the top with her vocal performance she chooses to be underwrought, delicate, wistful and just plain lovely - all hallmarks of quality singing we don't find often in these post-Celine Dion days.

If you've been anxiously awaiting this CD for 25 years you've been richly rewarded. Except for one or two trifles it was worth the wait.

Being a longtime fan of EBTG, and enjoying Tracey's work with Massive Attack, I expected stronger melodies and less commercialization. But I always love to listen to her voice, and I like most of the instrumentation, and the combination of retro disco & electronica is interesting.

With her latest effort, Ms. Thorn turns down the notch on the bass evidenced in "Temperamental", and instead, soothes listeners into submission with the sleekness of her voice, along with hooks destined to fill the wrap-up parties at New York dance halls. "It's All True" is a safe bet for a first single, leading Tracey into a sultry bit about love. And the remainder make for great air space for when you need to wind down a bit from a late night with friends.

I had the pleasure of borrowing this album from a friend who got the import. I've already placed my pre-order What a great album it was to listen to. It had a wonderful groove that seemed to flow through the whole thing. It had your more dancy tunes like "It's All True" and great slower paced grooves with great bass lines and beautiful melodies such as "Easy." Simply put, if you've really enjoyed the last couple of albums Everything But The Girl has put out you're going to be very happy with Tracey Thorns solo work. It's all the great song writing that she's known for and her voice sounds just as amazing as ever. I can't stop listening to this album!!!

Tracy Thorn, the haunting voice of Everything But the Girl, delivers a nice variety of soulful ballad and inspiring dance music on her first solo album. I am more a fan of the group's acoustic offerings myself, but their version of techno (is that still even the term?) is leagues above standard club fare. "Easy" and "Grand Canyon" are standouts in that category. The wonderful climax of the second, in which she encourages a lost soul to claim his true self, urges, "This is the price for you, just look around this room: Is anybody here made out of stone? Down among the heretics, the losers and the saints, you are here among your own--you've come home, you've come home." Given the pained experience that informs most of these songs, her repeats of "You've come home" and "Everybody loves you here" ring as powerful words of welcome from someone who knows what it is to be painfully excluded as "other." Here she shares her experience as one who has come "through the woods" and encourages another to claim that self without apology, leave behind those who don't understand, and claim the motley crew that gets him.
My very favorite song on the album is the poignant and all too brief, "By Picadilly Station I Sat Down and wept." There is not a wasted word in the song, and the unresolved chord on which it ends coincides perfectly with the terrible loss in its words, "the air just seems to shiver and you're never seen again; never seen again." The understated lyrics and delivery are perfect for what could otherwise be a worn-out theme. As we all know, the emotions that come with loss are raw, despite the cliche of their typical expressions in song, and Thorn is a master at evoking them so that they feel as fresh and personal as the lived experience.

Tracey Thorn... She's been singing and making music since the early 80's, first on her own with her debut solo album "A Distant Shore" and then from 1982 - 2000 with Everything But The Girl. Anyone that doesn't know who Everything But The Girl is missed the 90's all together...

Not to mention the work she's done with acts like Massive Attack, Deep Dish, Tiefschwarz, Adam F, going outside of the safety of EBTG, it launched her voice out of the stigma of contemporary adult genre and into a whole other realm. People now realize that her voice and song writing is truly remarkable, unmistakable and definitely, one of a kind.

You name the genre of music and Tracey's sang it, and sang it well. (with the exception of thrash metal and Bulgarian folk) Her voice has matured and evolved into one of England's proudest of all time.

After taking a long (to her fans) hiatus from the music business... She's back (Thank God! her huge collection of fans cry out...) with "Out Of The Woods". This release is one of the most unique and fiercely rich releases that the world has seen in a long time, from any artist. It is the true expression of an well experienced artist.

"Out Of The Woods" is written audible testimony of the many sides of an artist's taste and style for expression.

Tracey has never come up short when it comes to precise, one of a kind, emotional and thoroughly thought about lyrics and moving melodies in her entire career as a singer/songwriter. "Out Of The Woods" is proof...

True musical masterpieces can be made when artists have the opportunity to rediscover their inner creative strength and fierce talent and are allowed the freedom to make work that is so true, so pure that it can leave the observer/listener with a tear, the profound feeling of hope, love, goose bumps and the desire to shake your back side like you're on Soul Train... all at once.

"Out Of The Woods" gives you all that.

Thanks for not staying on hiatus Tracey, the music industry needs you now more than ever...

Marc VOS
Boston, MA

After 5 years I thought Tracey had retired but it turns out she has been busy. I can understand reviewers who said it sounds nothing like the old Tracey. This is her debut solo album and while reminiscent of the best of Everything But the Girl she now has a distict confident and masterful new sound all her own that is, in my opionion, outstanding!! She also has some of the best producers(Ewan Pearson, Charles Webster...) around adding their own style to the mixes.
My favorites are "Its All True" and "Easy" easily the records highlights.
Highly recommend

Worth the wait ! Its great to hear a singer who doesn't need to try too hard to own her own space, and add to this the vision and talent to effortlessly switch between basic acoustic arrangements and electronic house.

Listen to this a few times to realise that simple pop songs will always find a way of lodging themselves in your brain. Stand out tracks include 'Its All True', 'Easy', 'Raise the Roof', and the superb club anthem (to be) 'Grand Canyon' ....which demands a Deep Dish remix. My only request is that we dont have to wait so long for the next album !

Tracey Thorn has been on the cusp of the electronic music scene since I first started paying attention to her in the mid-nineties. This album is no exception. The music sounds very fresh, though owes a heavy debt to the revived "electro" sound, now very much in vogue. I'm happy she mostly steers clear of overly predictable "House" beats in lieu of a slightly left-field sound. Regardless, the bass runs deep, the synths are sexy and Thorn's voice still haunts. This a very good album.