Label Merge
Release Date May 17, 2010
http://www.myspace.com/traceythorn
The cover art was designed by John Gilsenan.
Audio Mixers: Ewan Pearson; Bruno Ellingham.
Recording information: Air Lyndhurst, London; Bang Gang Studios, Sydney; Doublehill, Bath; Eastcote, London; Mayfair, London; The Musicbox, London; Trixx Studios, Berlin; World Of Apples, Berlin.
Mojo (Publisher) (p.92) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[W]hat hooks you in now, as ever, is that voice, one that could sound beautifully despondent just singing her Twitter posts."
1. Oh, The Divorces!
2. Long White Dress
3. Hormones
4. Kentish Town
5. Why Does The Wind?
6. You Are A Lover
7. Singles Bar
8. Come On Home To Me
9. Late In The Afternoon
10. Swimming
11. Child Star
Possessing one of the most distinctively sensitive (and sensual) female voices, Tracey Thorn and her Everything But the Girl partner Ben Watt redefined the limits of intimate and intelligent alt-pop in the 80's and 90's. After a self-imposed leave of absence from recording and performing beginning in 2000 to raise a family, Thorn made a welcome return in 2007 with Out of the Woods, an album The Guardian described as "a spellbinding mix of shimmering folk and shimmying disco." Once again working with Woods producer Ewan Pearson, Thorn is back with Love and It's Opposite (May 18, Merge), an album that leaves behind the dancefloor beats for a more personal, starkly direct set of ten observational songs.
"It is a record about the person I am now and the people around me,” says Thorn, "About real life after forty." With eight self-penned tracks tackling marriage ("Long White Dress") and divorce ("Oh The Divorces"), being on your own ("Singles Bar") and what Thorn refers to as "the hope for love's survival" ("Swimming"), Love and Its Opposite also offers up a pair of well-chosen covers, including "Come On Home To Me" by the late, great Lee Hazelwood (and featuring a duet with Jens Lekman). Grown up and downtempo, Thorn's way with bittersweet chamberpop is a thing of wonder. Highly recommended.
＊「只要女孩合唱團」唯美女聲，融化浮世男女的動聽小品＊
＊Delphic、M83王牌製作人Ewan Pearson再展天才功力＊
＊民謠才子Jens Lekman與Hot Chip、The Invisible成員助陣＊
「Oh Jens，你的歌似乎能透視別的眼睛；你還如此年輕，愛情啊，死掉的和開始的一樣容易……」
47歲的Tracey Thorn在哀悼婚姻的〈Oh, the Divorces!〉裡，唱起29歲瑞典花草新秀Jens Lekman的名字；相反的，她與Everything But The Girl搭檔Ben Watt愛情長跑27年，終於在去年結婚。為家庭暫停樂團活動後，Tracey Thorn於2007年推出與處女作相隔25年的第二張個人專輯《Out Of The Woods》，忘卻大紅大紫的告示牌亞軍單曲〈Missing〉、助陣Trip-Hop鐵三角Massive Attack的〈Protection〉、甚至德國電子浩室雙人組Tiefschwarz的〈Damage〉，她宛如精靈遊走樹林，跳出Folk-Disco的新姿態。
三年不見，Tracey Thorn揮別主流廠牌，正式加盟Ben Watt主持的Buzzin' Fly姊妹廠Strange Feeling Records，以中年女性的成熟姿態，道盡《Love and Its Opposite》愛情的兩面。新輯再度交由柏林電氣炸子雞Ewan Pearson製作，捎來Yamaha CS-60、Moog Bass、Pearl Syncussion等多項樂器增添滋味，客席更邀得Hot Chip貝斯手Al Doyle、The Invisible鼓手Leo Taylor與Los Valentinos吉他手Jono！然而，歌詞扮演的角色凌駕編制，開場兩曲〈Oh, the Divorces!〉、〈Long White Dress〉便直切入蛋糕內餡，以真摯的鋼琴、弦樂、民謠與電吉他，描繪不幸遭外遇背叛／不願戴上白紗女子的心情，誰會是下一個（離婚／結婚）呢？Tracey Thorn就像是過來人，磁性動人的嗓音是利刃，一擊命中浮世男女。
EBTG的回憶又浮上眼前，動聽好跳的〈Why Does The Wind?〉如身處暗夜微風，在中板的低限舞池裡，尋覓確定情人的可能；〈Hormones〉則注入輕快爽神的荷爾蒙，談起兩代差異：「你擔心長大會如何，我擔心會如何放手」。兩首精采的翻唱作，包括布達佩斯流行三人組The Unbending Trees的民謠情歌〈You Are A Lover〉，以及傳奇鄉村製作人Lee Hazlewood的電氣小品〈Come On Home To Me〉，後者更有Jens Lekman合聲鋪疊晦暗氣息！最後，邀得媲美碧玉才女Cortney Tidwell打鼓兼合唱的〈Swimming〉，彷彿空靈的雪花漂浮著，給了愛的生存希望。
冬眠之後，我們很快就能游泳－這是Tracey Thorn教的人生哲學。（林貓王）
