Search - Everything But the Girl :: Language of Life

A release that expresses many languages of life.

Distant Voyageur | Io | 03/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

""The Language of Life" is a major candidate alongside "Worldwide" as my favorite pre-Missing ETBG album of all time but it's follow-up Worldwide may be it's main competitor for that title. Whatever the case is, the sixth release by this Thorn/Watt duo is a very inspiring release that finds the two delving into much more jazz-themed styles and includes guest appearances by several jazz legends such as Joe Sample, Michael Brecker and even Stan Getz who sadly passed away too long afterwards. My favorites are "Driving" with it's now famous "ha ha ha" voice effect that opens the track and echoes throughout it's length, "Get Back To You" with it's slightly faster rhythm and excellent rhythm. Tracey Thorn's vocals are incredible on this track. "Meet Me In The Morning" with it's beautiful soulful melody and with Tracey's autumn-like vocals, and "Me and Bobby D" with it's beautiful sound and sax playing. The album kind of drifts off afterwards with the remaining songs not standing out like the first four but that doesn't warrant this falling into the category of second half slump like many albums by many artists do. "Imagining America" is another standout track from the second half of this album. While "Missing" is a great song both in it's original and Todd Terry remix, that great song should not be allowed to overshadow the great body of works that ETBG have done from before or since all the way up to "Temperamental", their last album to date. But "The Language of Life" should be high up on the list of albums to buy and buy it new!"

Great band, weak record

NickBurns | Chicago, IL | 03/19/2010

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I love EBTG, and I've loved nearly everything they've ever done - ever since the first album (Eden, or Everything But The Girl here in the States).



But this was by far their weakest album. Much of it is adult-contemoporary slop. It's so overproduced that it hides Tracey's magnificent voice.



It has the worst song Ben and Tracey ever wrote, the earnest, finger pointing "Me and Bobby D."



The truly redeeming song here is "Driving," one of their finest songs ever (and a great video as well)."