Tracey Thorn’s voice would be sultry if it weren’t so sensitive. Thorn and Ben Watt, whose fragile tenor worked in tender contrast with his partner’s rich vocals, made up Everything but the Girl. Their sound developed from a spare chamber pop in the early 1980s, to lush arrangements of mid-career heights like Baby Don’t the Stars Shine Bright, to a revived career in 1990s electronica. But the pop craft that made them soar fell by the wayside during the electronic years, and Thorn’s solo work since then has never reached me. I didn't think Thorn and company would ever grab me again like they did with Idlewild
This being Tracey Thorn, Tinsel and Lights is less a celebratory jingle jangle for Christmas but a melancholy “Joy,” the title of one of Thorn’s new originals. The holidays are not just a time of parties and presents, but a time of reflection on Christmases past. As she sings, “The carols make you cry.” Thorn doesn’t let you forget that Christmas time is the darkest of the year.
The melancholy is not only Thorn's. Her well-chosen covers are arranged as they would have been for a prime EBTG record. “Like a Snowman,” which Stephen Merritt wrote for drag cabaret act Kiki and Herb, is one of those rare Merritt covers whose sincerity improves upon the auteur's ironic distance. Thorn’s most ambitious coup may be the second track. “Hard Candy Christmas” suits her aesthetic so well you’d hardly guess it was originally a Dolly Parton song from The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. “I’m barely getting through tomorrow/But still I won’t let sorrow/Get me way down." One of the most dramatic recastings is also one of the most heartbreakingly gorgeous tunes on the album, Randy Newman’s “Snow.”
Article comments
1 - Tracy Thorne
I became a fan of Tracey's when people started coming to my shows in NYC, thinking I was her! (Different spelling but, no one seemed to notice). Proud to share her namesake and loving this piece on her!
2 - John A Royce
I discovered Everything But the Girl and Tracey's richly unique vocals during a semester abroad in London in 1988. One of the students handed a cd to the bus driver while we were winding through the back roads of Whales during a weekend jaunt. I was instantly captivated! I, too, think this album returns to the nastalgic sound that orginailly captured my heart and attention and made me such a fan. But unlike you, Pat, it has grabbed me every bit as much as Idlewild did! Nice review of a fittingly emotional, contemplative rendition of the typical holiday music penetrating our every waking moment this time of year.
3 - John A Royce
Oh my. I just noticed that I wrote "Whales" instead of "Wales." My apologies.