Forays into the worlds of dance and electronica, including Todd Terry remixes and collaborations with Massive Attack, may have reaped rewards for Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt in the 90s, but the previous decade saw them flitting from genre to genre with each successive album. Their 1984 debut Eden was a slicker extension of the duo’s earlier indie acoustic jazz singles, and earned them a Top 30 hit with Each And Every One, but was perhaps too clinical for some tastes.
The following year’s Love Not Money was more politicised, tackling the conflict in Ulster (Sean) and social depravation (Ballad Of The Times), which, despite some well-crafted pop melodies, came across as sombre and pessimistic. 1986’s Baby The Stars Shine Bright was more uplifting, touching on the country grandeur of, say, Patsy Cline, but with lush orchestrations that elevated tracks such as Come Hell Or High Water and Come On Home to the heights of anthemic torch.
Two years later, Idlewild was a return to a less-is-more, pared-down sound, with Thorn most effective on the Steely Dan-lite of Love Is Here Where I Live, though it’s Watt’s lead vocal on the familial reminiscences of The Night I Heard Caruso Sing that really tugs on the heartstrings. Despite high profile guest players such as Stan Getz and Michael Brecker, 1990’s The Language Of Life never gets going; its ersatz jazz sounded jaded and stillborn, and may well have prompted the rethink that led to them finding greater success via the dancefloor.
