In 1982, Cherry Red Records released, for 99p, Pillows And Prayers, a compilation album of groovy tunes for young hipsters, but I bought it anyway. And it was ace, tasters of The Monochrome Set, Marine Girls, Felt, The Passage, Attila The Stockbroker and The Nightingales among others. I bought at least half a dozen other albums on the strength of these tracks.
There was also a couple of lovely tunes by a pair of youngsters, Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt, and a less strong one by them as a duo, Everything But The Girl. Coincidentally, both had debut albums on Cherry Red, and ended up studying at Hull University, they came together as musical and life partners, the rest being history. I bought Eden their debut album, after hearing the single Each And Every One, and remembering their individual contributions to Pillows And Prayers, despite it gaining the lucrative but terminally uncool spot as Radio 2 Album Of The Week. As soon as I saw the CD reasonably priced, I snapped that up.
From the first sax blast, you hear the influences - Watt, the son of Tommy Watt, jazz band leader, Thorn, whose teenage jangly guitar band The Marine Girls were well regarded. Opening with Each And Every One, a bossa-nova tinged look at modern relationships (a recurring theme), then Thorn's gentle Bittersweet, followed by Watt's slower, lounge-jazz Tender Blue. Another Bridge is a great. lively song, which Thorn breezes through before the slower (and less appealing to these ears) Spice Of Life; however, her short song ending the first half, The Dustbowl, is lovely, and doesn't outstay its welcome.
The second half opens with Crabwalk, a Watt jazz instrumental, then Even So, a slower Thorn song with a flamenco twist and Fascination - pleasant, but no more. The album ends with two of Watt's - I Must Confess, back to the smooth bossa-nova beat from the jazz lounge, beautifully sung by Thorn, and finally, the angry Soft Touch.
This is a great album, for me much more successful in its upbeat and jazz-influenced moments, rather than the slower, more reflective ones.
4* - a stunning debut, only hinted at by two patchy early solo albums.
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