EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL レコード& CD

Review: Astonishingly, almost 14 years have passed since the release of Everything But The Girl's previous - and many assumed final - album, 'Temperamental'. Since then, husband-and-wife team Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn have delivered plenty of solo music rooted in deep house, nu-disco and contemporary synth-pop, and it is those sounds - along with nods to their acoustic past - that dominate Fuse, their surprise new album. While the set undoubtedly feels fresh and contemporary, the key ingredients that made their music so alluring - not least Thorn's distinctive, world-weary lead vocals and introspective lyrics - remain front and centre. The results are uniformly impressive, with highlights including the slow-motion, piano-laden r&b-pop of 'Run a Red Light', the sub-heavy, garage-influenced brilliance of 'Nothing Left To Lose' and the glossy IDM-pop shimmer of 'No One Knows We're Dancing'.