Long awaited album from Eveything But the Girl vocalist.
As something of a music veteran Tracey Thorn is someone whose voice will be familiar to many, be it via the cult mini-album from 1982, her pairing up with Ben Watt for Everything But The Girl, or her guest appearances with Massive Attack and Deep Dish. After a few years in the musical wilderness Thorn has returned with a new solo album, the aptly titled 'Out of the Woods'.
24 years after her previous solo release the album is released amidst a flood of fantastic female songwriters, from Regina Spektor to Feist, Joanna Newsom, Cat Power's Chan Marshall and Tori Amos, so Thorn has work to do if she wishes to be regarded so highly.
'Here Is Comes Again' is a slightly ethereal sounding song in which the narrator seems to be taking comfort from immersing themselves in nature. The song seems to be reflective and rather downbeat, making the emergence of 'A-Z' something of a surprise. It is electronic and very lively sounding, a contrast with lyrics such as "kids still call each other names, should get better but it's sad and strange", which are masked by the near disco style of the music. The tone alters at the end when the protagonist escapes "Will the city save your life? /So pack your cigarettes and you're A-Z, it'll be just like that book you read".
Things take a downward turn with 'It's All True', a grating, Golfrapp-esque venture into by the book disco with syrupy sweet lyrics which oppose the tender observations of its predecessors. 'Get Around to it' is similarly weak, with standard electronics coupled with bland lyrics about boys and girls getting excited.
'Easy' sees things improve, with a piano led song fused with slow electronica, creating an interesting sound that compliments Thorn's vocals. 'Nowhere Near' tread similar territory yet isn't so effective, and by this point the musical side of things seems to have given up in favour of relying on the vocals to rescue the songs from mediocrity. 'By Piccadilly Station I Sat Down and Wept', improves matters, with a slow pace that befits Thorn's mournful vocals.
Considering it has been such a long time coming, 'Out of the Woods' is rather lacking overall. There are strong moments, particularly the first two songs, but generally there's a sense of listener apathy that is just too hard to shift. This might be impressive to fans, perhaps, but unlikely to introduce Tracey Thorn to a new audience. It's likely she'll be dining out on past glories for a while longer yet unfortunately.