Moods & Occasions Section - The Chill Desk:

This is one of my favorite chillout albums:



Pause.

The great thing about this album is that it really differentiates itself from other instrumental electronic albums. It has definite warmth compared to chillier electronic artists, probably because it uses acoustic instruments as often as electric ones. And instead of having everything float around in the ether, it all coalesces into a rich blend. Like sitting in front of a crackling fireplace.

Key tracks:
Glue of the World
Parks
Everything Is Alright

Toots Thielemans, keepin' it real on harmonica.

Country Falls (2004)



Husky Rescue is - or was at the time - essentially producer Marko Nyberg with varying vocalists - a piece of information that would lead you to assume that the result is one of these sampleresque affairs of one-goes-another-comes-each-track-sounds-different, think Conjure One, but that's not true at all - not least since the voices of these so aptly-named ladies (Reeta-Leena Korhola being perhaps my favourite; she has become a full member of the band by now and is present at all live shows) are quite similar in style and mood: sweet, a bit melancholy, sometimes, a bit drowsy, too-- opening track Sweet Little Kitten sounds a lot like the titular animal crossed with Black Box Recorder. The voice is there, but there is no point looking for the lyrical bile - it would be out of place, too, somehow. Sunset Drive stands proof for this, working entirely without wordsome lyrics, an "ahhh" here and there is absolutely enough - not least taking into account the gorgeous live rock'n'roll sound gradually working its way into the song, always one layer under the vocals, never venturing too close to noise or, well, rock, but definitely present; early Goldfrapp come to mind here. Summertime Cowboy, the album's most popular track through some wondrous turn of events, has something vaguely Asian to it, despite being sung in English - and it isn't the only one on here. I haven't yet figured out the exact mechanics of this, but there's something Eastern in the atmosphere, something that makes you think of short, pale, dark-haired people skimming through Italian travel brochures. It could be something about the keyboard sounds, they might be trying to be Asian string instruments from time to time; in any case they're unlike most other things I've heard in the huge, soft, pastel-coloured fields of chill-out lately. These wonderfully organic keyboards appear on almost every track, allowing quite a bit of kraut rock associations at their most atmospheric, which in other places (such as Mean Street), combined with the minimalistic vocalising, precise work of the proper string instruments and what may or may not be 'proper' brass, amounts to something almost jazzy - this is the sun rising after a night ruled by Portishead. To finish this review in the same namechecking style I wrote it - I'd recommend this music to fans of Zero 7 and early Air with an assortment of edges. Strange but true, the bite the album loses in lyrics it makes up for in sounds.

Copied from the Easy Listening Desk (a nice find by schizodanny):

La Variete (1982)



For fans of bossa nova, an obscure treat from the early 80's. This would have been in circulation when Everything But The Girl were starting out. It makes me wonder if it influenced their sound (particularly "Eden").

*consults AMG*

Similar Albums:

Cylob said:
Copied from the Easy Listening Desk (a nice find by schizodanny):

La Variete (1982)

This would have been in circulation when Everything But The Girl were starting out. It makes me wonder if it influenced their sound (particularly "Eden").

I may have the answer to that.

Young Marble Giants, which is as you know Alison Statton's previous band before Weekend, is the major influence on Marine Girls, which is... ahem, Tracey Thorn's previous band before Everything But The Girl.

In an ideal world, that should speak for itself, and Weekend would have surely influenced Everything But The Girl.

absolutely, i recommend also Bending New Corners, more hip-hop, but still kicking ass

Summer's only a state of mind. :)

Copied from the Drum 'N' Bass Desk:

True Colours (2002)



Another classic on Hospital Records. They're certainly not in need of treatment.

Remember When
True Colours
Make It Tonight

Almost as all the Back to Mine collection is a pure chillin' compilation (Ultra Records Label). For information, Back to Mine Albums are compilation made by (great) artists such as Tricky, Lamb, Cal Cox, Everything but the girl...
Here are my favorites:

Back to Mine


Back to Mine


Back to Mine


Back to Mine


and many more...
Back to Mine website

It's Snowing on My Piano


The pianist of the awsome duo Sidsel Endresen & Bugge Wesseltoft, They are wonderful together, they are wonderful by themselves. Just like cheese and wine :)
It's a very (very very) good chilling album.

Copied from the Morr Music Desk:

MM062CD: Electric President (2006)



A poptastic affair, rather like The Go Find on happy pills. Plenty of acoustic guitar, the slapping of tambourines, sounds that sparkle and shine, thick layers of melody that shroud you like a warm blanket.

Uplifting or Chill? Just maybe, both at once.

Choice Cuts:
Good Morning, Hypocrite
Insomnia
Snow On Dead Neighborhoods

That's one great EP (Twoism as well).

I totally agree, their LPs are overweilding and could potentially be cut in half. :)

Welcome aboard BTW. :)

Amazing album that. I'd say "Inertia Creeps" is my fave, but it's only by a whisker.

From the Ninja Tune Desk:

Sweet Jones (2003)



A sweet acid jazz album with all the Malibu Beach trimmings. Playing this on a grey english day (in suburban hell) just doesn't seem right.

Choice Cuts:
The Woodworm
Code 3
Pound Stretcher