At Maida Vale EP by Everything But the Girl (Review)
In 2023, Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt — the songwriting duo better known as Everything But the Girl — released Fuse, their first album in nearly 24 years following 1999’s Temperamental. As part of Fuse’s release, Thorn and Watt declined to perform any concerts in support of the album. Instead, they ventured into the BBC’s legendary Maida Vale Studios to record this EP of stripped down versions of Fuse’s material.
Of course, with a band as accomplished as Everything But the Girl, “stripped down” is an entirely relative term. True, the EP’s version of “Nothing Left to Lose” is shorn of any discothèque beats or pulsing synths, relying instead on Watt’s elegant piano arrangements. But that proves to be more than enough, especially when paired with Thorn’s rich voice. The performances of “Run a Red Light” and “When You Mess Up” — two of Fuse’s more somber songs — are closer to the album versions in terms of production, but I daresay they’re more emotive and immediate.
Again, much of that’s due to Thorn’s voice. It might be a bit more weathered after 20+ years, but the passage of time has done nothing to diminish its soulfulness. Her voice still possesses a grace and emotional depth that requires absolutely no studio dressing whatsoever to haunt the listener. That’s particularly apparent on the EP’s highlight, a performance of “Single,” one of the moodier songs from 1996’s groundbreaking Walking Wounded.
When Thorn and Watt began incorporating electronica into their folk and jazz-influenced pop following the runaway success of Todd Terry’s “Missing” remix, I’m sure some lamented the change, accusing the duo of selling out and chasing trends. But the ensuing decades have proven the naysayers wrong. If you watch some of the band’s ’90s performances, like this 1996 performance at The White Room, its immediately apparent that the soul is still there, even with the electronic accoutrements. And that’s all the more so when any such accoutrements are diminished or removed altogether, as is the case with this lovely EP.
