Everything but the Girl Album: “Back to Mine”

Similar to the other North American Back To Mine releases by Danny Tenaglia, Groove Armada and Faithless, EBTG's take on downtempo is a broad umbrella covering soulful house, funk, trip-hop, disco and R&B. It makes for an enjoyable home listen, and that's the point. What sets this mix apart from the others is the inclusion of a couple tracks by Detroit techno innovators Model 500 (Juan Atkins) and Carl Craig. In my opinion, the mix strays a bit near the end with The Roots - "Silent Treatment," a somewhat more raucous rap selection that doesn't quite feel right straddling the already-established mood. Also, I don't really care for the 70's style crooning of Donny Hathaway at the end of the CD, but I'm sure someone else's review will praise this, so as always, it all comes down to personal taste. Considering my own personal taste, this is a solid 4-star effort; this will definitely get plenty of listens alongside my other Back To Mines.

One of life's greatest pleasures is the giving and receiving of mix tapes. Toward this end, the genius concept of the Back to Mine series was born; enlist a group of stellar dj's and ambient groups to compile their version of the perfect post-club chillout mix tape, then release the results on the unsuspecting populace. The fourth installment of this project is entrusted to the always brilliant Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt of Everything but the Girl, and they do not disappoint. From the fan-to-fan accessibility of the liner notes, discussing their difficulty in narrowing their selections to fit a single cd, and dismay over being unable to obtain the rights to other favorites, to the careful sequencing and mixing of the tracks, this is a labor of love that excels at every level. Back to Mine flows seamlessly from jazzy trip-hop to soul and hip-hop to house with such ease that Watt manages to segue from Slick Rick to the gorgeous Beth Orton track "Stars all seem to weep" within moments. The perfect accompaniment for afterhours introspection, Back to Mine perfectly recreates the atmosphere of the languid last hours before the dawning of a new day. This is the mix tape you wished you could give, or receive from your best friend.

I own all of them, and I must say, this is still the very BEST in the series. Recent efforts by Orbital and New Order have been disappointing and just don't even compare. EBTG, Faithless, Nick Warren, and Talvin Singh stick to the original "chill" premise.

"Turn the lights down, pour yourself a drink, and kick back.." Wasn't that what the Back to Mine series was suppose to be all about?

Best CD I heard in 2002. Laid back but not overly so. I'm not quite sure how anyone can actually sleep to this CD as the insomniac reviewer stated unlees their use to listening to music at a 180 beats per minute. O'Hara's song brilliantly brings down the pace for a few moments until accelerating back to the CD's mostly mid-tempo vibe w/ Roots's Silent Treatment. Perfect for ecletic fans of jazz, hip hop, and house.

The Back to Mine series is designed to allows artists to create a mix that mirrors what they would play at home after a night out. Artists like Danny Tenaglia, Pet Shop Boys, and Groove Armada have all contributed mixes which vary widely in style, source music, and vibe. Everything But The Girl were tapped to bring their unique personal style to this series.

Everything But The Girl's BTM mix is laid back, creatively structured album that churns along at midtempo with a solid beat throughout. It makes for solid background music, but does little to stand out on its own. It literally is an "in the mood" kind of album, hence the 3 star rating. Some of the more interesting tracks inlude Deadly Avenger's The Bayou, Beth Orton's Stars Seem to Weep, and the back to back funk of Ananda Project's Cascades of Colour and Dubtribe Sound Systems' Do It Now.

This is a solid addition to fans of BTM, or for fans of EBTG that want to gain some insight into the type of music they enjoy. If you have never listened to BTM, you may want to borrow someone's first before buying. To me though, this album is a nice addition to my personal BTM fave, Groove Armada.