Idlewild - Everything But The Girl

...Girl released their fourth Album Idlewild in 1988.

The first three Albums had all been completely different. Eden with its Jazz and Soul influences, the follow up Album, Love Not Money, with its songs about Social and Political issues, and the third Album the glitzy, showbiz, Burt Bacharach style songs with their Country influences that found themselves on the Album, Baby The Stars Shine Bright.

It would have been difficult ...
...but the truth is with Idlewild they went for something a little bit more middle of the road.

The inspiration behind the name of the Album comes from Tracey's long standing fascination with the Kennedy family, taking its name from New York's John F Kennedy International Airport, which was known as Idlewild Airport until 1963. Success had meant that the duo, who were now a couple, had recently bought an Apartment in New York and much ... more

Just four years after the release of their debut Album Eden, Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt, collectively known as Everything But The Girl released their fourth Album Idlewild in 1988.

The first three Albums had all been completely different. Eden with its Jazz and Soul influences, the follow up Album, Love Not Money, with its songs about Social and Political issues, and the third Album the glitzy, showbiz, Burt Bacharach style songs with their Country influences that found themselves on the Album, Baby The Stars Shine Bright.

It would have been difficult to try and guess what direction the duo would head off into next, but the truth is with Idlewild they went for something a little bit more middle of the road.

The inspiration behind the name of the Album comes from Tracey's long standing fascination with the Kennedy family, taking its name from New York's John F Kennedy International Airport, which was known as Idlewild Airport until 1963. Success had meant that the duo, who were now a couple, had recently bought an Apartment in New York and much of this Album was recorded there.

The Album contains 12 tracks as below

I Don't Want To Talk About It
Love Is Here Where I Live
These Early Days
I Always Was Your Girl
Oxford Street
The Night I Heard Caruso Sing
Goodbye Sunday
Shadow On A Harvest Moon
Blue Moon Rose
Tears All Over Town
Lonesome For A Place I Know
Apron Strings

The Album kicks off with I Don't Want To Talk About It, a song that will be familiar to many people, even those that have very little knowledge of this Band. This is a cover of a song originally recorded by Rod Stewart which was released as the third single from the Album and gave the Band their biggest hit to date, reaching number 3 in the UK Charts and going on to sell over 500,000 copies.

I Don't Want To Talk About It shows off Tracey's vocal skills to perfection. Here her voice is beautiful with a clarity that sets her apart from almost any other Female singer of this genre. It is just a pity that this song became a victim of its success and suffered from Radio overkill, making it a track that I now often find myself skipping past.

The second track on the Album, Love Is Here Where I Live is a more refreshing change from the overplayed opening track, but it is by no means a stand out track.

The Album continues with These Early Days, a much more upbeat song with a catchy chorus that was released as the first single from this Album and also became their first song to penetrate the US Billboard Charts.

I Always Was Your Girl sees Everything But The Girl going back to a more Acoustic sound and this continues on Oxford Street, one of my favourite tracks from the Album, which sees Tracey reminiscing about growing up. Here the lyrics read like a story, as do so many of their songs.
"When I was ten I thought my brother was God - he'd lie in bed and turn out the light with a fishing rod.
I learned the names of all his football team, and I still remembered them when I was nineteen.
Strange the things that I remember still - shouts from the playground when I was home and ill.
My sister taught me all that she learned there;
when we grow up, we said, we'd share a flat somewhere.
When I was seventeen, London meant Oxford Street."

The Night I Heard Caruso Sing is a song that is sung by Ben, with Tracey taking a backseat on backing vocals. This is a lovely song but somehow I always feel that it seems to be a little bit out of place on this Album.

Goodbye Sunday and Shadow On A Harvest Moon are both pleasant enough songs but again there is nothing here that grabs your attention and brings a lump to your throat, as are the next two songs that follow. Blue Moon Rose seems to lack much of the lyrical genius that has set Everything But The Girl apart in the past: "I have a friend and we talk about books, she comes around and she drinks while I cook. " Oh come on Tracey, you can do better than that!

In my opinion by far the best track however is left till last. Apron Strings is a reminder that when Everything But The Girl get it right then they are capable of something quite remarkable. This is a song stripped bare and without much the overproduction that some of the other tracks on this Album have suffered from. Here we just have Tracey's voice, accompanied by a Piano, a few Strings and Acoustic Guitar.
This is a song about raising kids, and worrying about the restrictions and the responsibilities that this brings:
"He'll look just like me when I was young
But I wonder as the days unwind
Will he have your eyes or mine
Then I wake up to my Apron Strings."

Overall I think that this is an interesting collection of songs but it seems as if Everything But The Girl have somehow lost their sense of direction and focus. It is as if when they were writing and recording this Album they were unsure about what sort of music they should be making.

The first three Albums showed just how versatile Tracy Thorn and Ben Watt could be and I must admit that when I first bought this record I desperately wanted it to be fantastic, but I have to say that alongside the other things they have done Idlewild is somewhat dull and bland in comparison.

Thank you for reading.
 

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