Fuse | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 21 April 2023 | |||
Recorded | 2021[1] | |||
Studio | Riverside Studios (Bath) and home studio | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 35:38 | |||
Label |
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Producer | ||||
Everything but the Girl chronology | ||||
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Singles from Fuse | ||||
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Fuse is the eleventh studio album by British duo Everything but the Girl, released on 21 April 2023 through Buzzin' Fly and Virgin Records. It is their first studio album in almost 24 years following Temperamental (1999).[4] The album was preceded by the single "Nothing Left to Lose" on 10 January 2023,[5] followed by "Caution to the Wind", "Run a Red Light", and "No One Knows We're Dancing", in February, March, and April respectively.[6][7][8]
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 with the engineer Bruno Ellingham, with Tracey Thorn 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".[5]
Ben Watt told NME 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."[9]
Music
The album contains a mix of electronic and acoustic tracks,[9] with a statement describing it as a "modern take on the lustrous electronic soul" that the duo produced before their 2000 hiatus.[10] The tracks "When You Mess Up" and "Interior Space" began as "improvised piano ballads" Watt recorded on his iPhone.[10]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 80/100[11] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [12] |
Clash | 9/10[13] |
The Guardian | [14] |
The Independent | [15] |
Mojo | [16] |
musicOMH | [17] |
NME | [18] |
Pitchfork | 7.7/10[2] |
Slant Magazine | [19] |
Uncut | [20] |
Fuse received a score of 80 out of 100 based on 19 critics' reviews on review aggregator Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim".[11] Paul Simpson of AllMusic 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".[12] Lucy O'Brien of Mojo 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".[16]
Alexis Petridis of The Guardian 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".[14] Helen Brown of The Independent 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".[15]
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 and the production nous of Massive Attack".[13] Reviewing the album for Pitchfork, 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".[2]
Thomas Smith of NME 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".[9] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone 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."[21]
Reviewing the album for MusicOMH, 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".[17] Writing for Slant Magazine, 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".[19]
At the end of 2023, Pitchfork placed lead single "Nothing Left to Lose" at number 92 on a list of the top 100 songs of the year.[22]
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,[23] but eventually peaked at N° 3, behind A Kiss for the Whole World by Enter Shikari and Live with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra by The 1975, and top 5 in several component charts.[24]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn, except where noted
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Nothing Left to Lose" | 3:44 |
2. | "Run a Red Light" (lyrics and music by Watt) | 3:39 |
3. | "Caution to the Wind" | 4:06 |
4. | "When You Mess Up" | 3:48 |
5. | "Time and Time Again" | 2:51 |
6. | "No One Knows We're Dancing" | 4:09 |
7. | "Lost" | 3:25 |
8. | "Forever" | 3:41 |
9. | "Interior Space" | 2:24 |
10. | "Karaoke" | 3:51 |
Total length: | 35:38 |
Personnel
Everything but the Girl
- Tracey Thorn – vocals, background vocals, production, recording arrangement
- Ben Watt – background vocals, drums, electric guitar, piano, programming, synthesizer programming, production, recording arrangement (all tracks); engineering (track 2)
Additional contributors
- Bruno Ellingham – mixing, engineering (all tracks); programming (3, 4, 6, 9)
- Ewan Pearson – programming (6)
- Miles Showell – mastering
Charts
Chart (2023) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA)[25] | 39 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[26] | 62 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[27] | 10 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[28] | 19 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[29] | 46 |
French Albums (SNEP)[30] | 52 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[31] | 18 |
Irish Albums (OCC)[32] | 42 |
Italian Albums (FIMI)[33] | 50 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[34] | 27 |
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[35] | 57 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[36] | 4 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[37] | 38 |
Swedish Physical Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[38] | 16 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[39] | 8 |
UK Albums (OCC)[40] | 3 |
US Billboard 200[41] | 116 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[42] | 18 |
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[43] | 17 |
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[44] | 3 |
US Top Rock & Alternative Albums (Billboard)[45] | 27 |
References
- ↑ Kaufman, Gil (10 January 2023). "Everything But the Girl Prep First Album in 24 Years, Drop Bouncy 'Nothing Left to Lose' Single". Billboard. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 Snapes, Laura (21 April 2023). "Everything But the Girl: Fuse Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- ↑ Empire, Kitty (23 April 2023). "Everything But the Girl: Fuse review – sleek, downtempo charms". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ↑ Jones, Abby (10 January 2023). "Everything But the Girl Announce Comeback Album Fuse, Share "Nothing Left to Lose": Stream". Consequence. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- 1 2 Corcoran, Nina (10 January 2023). "Everything But the Girl Announce First Album in 24 Years, Share Video for New Song: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ↑ Bloom, Madison (22 February 2023). "Everything But the Girl Share New Song "Caution to the Wind": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
- ↑ "Everything but the Girl share new single 'Run A Red Light' from new album Fuse – Out 21 April". XS Noize. 15 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
- ↑ "Listen to Everything But the Girl's New Song "No One Knows We're Dancing"". Pitchfork. 18 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- 1 2 3 Trendell, Andrew (10 January 2023). "Everything But The Girl return: "We wanted to come back with something modern"". NME. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- 1 2 Buckle, Becky (10 January 2023). "Everything But The Girl release new single and announce details of first album in 24 years". Mixmag. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- 1 2 "Fuse by Everything But the Girl Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
- 1 2 Simpson, Paul. "Everything But the Girl – Fuse Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
- 1 2 Murray, Robin (20 April 2023). "Everything But The Girl – Fuse". Clash. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
- 1 2 Petridis, Alexis (20 April 2023). "Everything But the Girl: Fuse review – still staking out pop's frontier after 40 years". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- 1 2 Brown, Helen (20 April 2023). "Everything But the Girl review, Fuse: Band's first album in 24 years shows a rekindled appetite for modern melancholy". The Independent. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- 1 2 O'Brien, Lucy (18 April 2023). "Everything But The Girl Reviewed". Mojo. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
- 1 2 Murphy, David (19 April 2023). "Everything But The Girl – Fuse". musicOMH. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
- ↑ Smith, Thomas (19 April 2023). "Everything But The Girl – Fuse review: how reunion albums should be done". NME. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
- 1 2 Attard, Paul (18 April 2023). "Everything but the Girl Fuse Review: A World-Weary Comeback". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
- ↑ Some tastefully lightweight, pleasantly inessential filler ultimately make Fuse a minor late-career coda. [June 2023, p.26]
- ↑ Sheffield, Rob (16 April 2023). "Everything But the Girl Pick Up Where They Left Off While Keeping It Fresh On Fuse". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
- ↑ "The 100 Best Songs of 2023". Pitchfork. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ↑ Smith, Carl (26 April 2023). "Everything But The Girl take the lead over Enter Shikari in this week's Number 1 album race". Official Charts. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ↑ "EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL songs and albums". Official Charts. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Everything but the Girl – Fuse". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Everything but the Girl – Fuse" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Everything but the Girl – Fuse" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Everything but the Girl – Fuse" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Everything but the Girl – Fuse" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ↑ "Lescharts.com – Everything but the Girl – Fuse". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
- ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Everything but the Girl – Fuse" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- ↑ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Everything but the Girl – Fuse". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ↑ "Charts.nz – Everything but the Girl – Fuse". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Everything but the Girl – Fuse". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
- ↑ "Veckolista Album Fysiskt, vecka 17". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Everything but the Girl – Fuse". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- ↑ "Everything but the Girl Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
- ↑ "Bjork Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
- ↑ "Bjork Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
- ↑ "Everything but the Girl Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
- ↑ "Everything But the Girl Chart History (Top Rock & Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 August 2023.