EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL; "Walking Wounded" (Atlantic). * * *
Everything but the Girl is finally getting some attention.
The band, which is actually a duo mainly composed of vocalist Tracey Thorn and synthesizer-guitarist Ben Watt, will play Kingsbury Hall, Monday, July 15. Curtain time is 8 p.m.
"Walking Wounded" is the follow up to 1994's gold album, "Amplified Heart," and continues the band's journey through emotions and grooves.
While "Wounded" is more jazz influenced, the music is pure and feels good. Thorn moves her soulful voice around the room as Watt's arrangements drift about.
"Walking Wounded" opens with the Latin-laced "Before Today" and continues with the keyboard, disco-funk of "Wrong," the big-stepping "Flipside" and an electrified ballad, "Mirrorball."
Thorn's voice gives the Everything But the Girl albums a shot of lonely melancholy, as if she were standing on a skyscraper at night singing to the busy rumbling city below.
Moods are created and ridden throughout "Walking Wounded" in neat four-minute segments.
This album is good way to get acquainted with the band. Chances are you will have to special order the band's earlier albums, excepting "Amplified Heart." But then, that's another good album to introduce yourself to the band.