''Fuse'' is the eleventh studio album by British duo
Everything but the Girl
Everything but the Girl (occasionally referred to as EBTG) are an English musical duo formed in Kingston upon Hull in 1982, consisting of lead singer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, producer and singer Ben Watt ...
, released on 21 April 2023 through Buzzin' Fly and
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...
. It is their first studio album in almost 24 years following ''
Temperamental'' (1999). The album was preceded by the single "Nothing Left to Lose" on 10 January 2023,
followed by "Caution to the Wind", "Run a Red Light", and "No One Knows We're Dancing", in February, March, and April respectively.
Background
The duo began working on the album in March 2021, recording it in secret at both their home and a studio outside of
Bath, England
Bath () is a city in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary area in the ceremonial counties of England, county of Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman Baths (Bath), Roman-built baths. At the 2021 Census, the population was 1 ...
with the engineer Bruno Ellingham, with
Tracey Thorn
Tracey Anne Thorn (born 26 September 1962) is a British singer. She is best known as being one half of the duo Everything but the Girl from 1982 to 1999. She was a member of the band Marine Girls between 1980 and 1983 and since 2007 has been ...
stating that they were "aware of the pressures of such a long-awaited comeback, so we tried to begin instead in a spirit of open-minded playfulness".
Ben Watt
Benjamin Brian Thomas Watt (born 6 December 1962) is a British musician, singer, songwriter, author, DJ and radio presenter, best known as one half of the duo Everything but the Girl.
Early life
Watt was born in Marylebone, London, and grew u ...
told ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' that they "wanted to come back with something modern-sounding.
..We just wanted to make a piece of work that would sound great now in 2023. That was the driver." He also elaborated that ''Fuse'' is not "a pandemic album or a lockdown album – it just struck us that the time was right after 23 years of waiting", also echoing Thorn's statement that the intention was to be "a bit playful and experimental to see what happens. There wasn't a masterplan."
Music
The album contains a mix of electronic and acoustic tracks,
with a statement describing it as a "modern take on the lustrous electronic soul" that the duo produced before their 2000 hiatus.
The tracks "When You Mess Up" and "Interior Space" began as "improvised piano ballads" Watt recorded on his iPhone.
Critical reception
''Fuse'' received a score of 80 out of 100 based on 19 critics' reviews on review aggregator
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, indicating "universal acclaim".
Paul Simpson of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
wrote that "the duo immediately make it clear that they aren't interested in dwelling in the past", as the album has "sparse, clear production", with Thorn's "roughened" voice adding "more emotional weight to her lyrics, which are as thoughtful as ever, yet especially relevant for the 2020s".
Lucy O'Brien of ''
Mojo
Mojo may refer to:
* Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo
Arts, entertainment and media Film and television
* MOJO HD, an American television network
* ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film
* ' ...
'' felt similarly, that Thorn's "voice is front, central and confidently clear in the mix. So too is their cleverly sculpted sonic overload, weaving in and out of evocative lyrical imagery and rhythmic flow".
Alexis Petridis
Alexis Petridis ( el, Αλέξης Πετρίδης; born 13 September 1971) is a British journalist, head rock and pop critic for the UK newspaper ''The Guardian'', as well as a regular contributor to the magazine '' GQ''. In addition to his mus ...
of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' felt that the duo "have absorbed the revolutions in dance and electronic music since their previous album in 1999, and shaped them into melancholic, finely detailed stories", concluding that it is "an album that manages to be different from anything they've recorded before yet perfectly in keeping with their past: a comeback worth waiting for".
Helen Brown of ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' wrote that ''Fuse'' "makes a church of its elegant electronica: all vaulting arcs of yearning melody and glimmers of stained glass that dance upwards, to the familiar urban spire of Thorn’s beautiful, hangdog voice".
Robin Murray of ''
Clash'' called it "a graceful, majestic, moving experience, one that dips into club tropes while illuminating pop at its iciest, and most arresting", as well as a "rich, atmospheric song cycle" with "the emotional heft of
The Blue Nile
The Blue Nile was a Scottish band which originated in Glasgow. The group's early music was built heavily on synthesizers and electronic instrumentation and percussion, although later works featured guitar more prominently. Following early champ ...
and the production nous of
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English trip hop collective formed in 1988 in Bristol by Robert "3D" Del Naja, Adrian "Tricky" Thaws, Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall.
The debut Massive Attack album ''Blue Lines'' was release ...
".
Reviewing the album for ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'', Laura Snapes described ''Fuse'' as a "moving, handsome album that tells a sophisticated story about recapturing innocence" and felt that Everything but the Girl had not significantly diverged stylistically from "where they left off, keeping their connection to contemporary club culture alive".
Thomas Smith of ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' stated ''Fuse'' is "how reunion albums should be done", calling it "the blueprint for any alt-leaning electronic act in the pop space" and finding that the duo "remain both aligned with the pulse and thump of their contemporaries and ahead of the game".
Rob Sheffield of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' felt that the album "picks up right where ''
Temperamental'' stopped, as if they're hitting play on a cassette they've kept on pause for 24 years. But they keep it fresh, using the latest digital effects to warp, filter, mutate Thorn's voice into a deeper, more dolorous instrument."
Reviewing the album for ''
MusicOMH
MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.
History
MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...
'', David Murphy opined that "the more prominent the beats, the less exciting the song. But this is ''Fuse''s secret victory: if you don't pay attention, it's harmless background fluff, yet if you concentrate there are mysteries and subtleties to discover that demand repeat listens".
Writing for ''
Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
'', Paul Attard found there to be a "weary malaise" on the album, summarising that when it "is firing on all cylinders, it feels risk-averse, leaving one longing for an album that mines its gloomy outlook and ambiance for greater impact".
Commercial reception
First single "Nothing Left to Lose" received radio rotation and entered several component charts, but missed the Official Singles Charts. It peaked at N° 1 at the Vinyl Singles Chart, N° 2 at the Physical Singles Chart, N° 40 at the Singles Sales Chart, N° 60 at the Singles Download Chart.
During its release week middle-week chart ''Fuse'' was leading for a N° 1 position at the Official Albums Chart, but eventually peaked at N° 3, behind ''
A Kiss for the Whole World
''A Kiss for the Whole World'' is the seventh studio album by English rock band Enter Shikari, released on 21 April 2023 through SO Recordings. It was preceded by the lead single "(Pls) Set Me on Fire" and debuted at number one on the UK Albums Ch ...
'' by
Enter Shikari
Enter Shikari (stylised as enter: shikari and occasionally as ΣΠΤΣ℞ SΗΦΚ∆℞Φ) are a British rock band formed in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England in 1999 by bassist Chris Batten, lead vocalist and keyboardist Rou Reynolds, and drum ...
and ''
Live with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra'' by
The 1975
The 1975 are an English pop rock band formed in 2002 in Wilmslow, Cheshire. Now based in Manchester, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Matthew "Matty" Healy, lead guitarist Adam Hann, bassist Ross MacDonald, and drummer G ...
, and top 5 in several component charts.
Track listing
Personnel
Everything but the Girl
*
Tracey Thorn
Tracey Anne Thorn (born 26 September 1962) is a British singer. She is best known as being one half of the duo Everything but the Girl from 1982 to 1999. She was a member of the band Marine Girls between 1980 and 1983 and since 2007 has been ...
– vocals, background vocals,
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
, recording arrangement
*
Ben Watt
Benjamin Brian Thomas Watt (born 6 December 1962) is a British musician, singer, songwriter, author, DJ and radio presenter, best known as one half of the duo Everything but the Girl.
Early life
Watt was born in Marylebone, London, and grew u ...
– background vocals, drums, electric guitar, piano,
programming, synthesizer programming, production, recording arrangement (all tracks);
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
(track 2)
Additional contributors
* Bruno Ellingham –
mixing, engineering (all tracks); programming (3, 4, 6, 9)
*
Ewan Pearson
Ewan Pearson (born 1 April 1972) is an English electronic music producer/remixer who works under various aliases including Maas, Sulky Pup, Villa America, World of Apples, and Dirtbox. He is also in Partial Arts with Al Usher. He has remixed ...
– programming (6)
* Miles Showell –
mastering
Charts
References
{{Everything but the Girl
2023 albums
Everything but the Girl albums
Virgin Records albums
Downtempo albums
Rhythm and blues albums by English artists