READ Mark J. Marraccini’s 25th anniversary tribute to Amplified Heart here
A few months ago, nearly 9,000 Albumism readers voted for their all-time favorite Everything But The Girl studio album—a challenging exercise, to be sure, considering the husband-wife duo’s expansive and consistently impressive discography. Arguably as was to be expected, the dynamic one-two, back-to-back punch of Walking Wounded (1996) and Amplified Heart (1994) secured the #1 and #2 spots in the final poll results, respectively. And today, Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn have revealed that the latter LP will be released on vinyl for the first time ever, in conjunction with its upcoming 25th anniversary.
Most universally known for the inclusion of “Missing,” which became a behemoth of a single propelled by Todd Terry’s remixed version, the group’s eighth studio album is a vital entry in their broader repertoire. An exemplary showcase of Thorn and Watt’s introspective and evocative songwriting, Amplified Heart effectively bridged the musical gap between the folk/jazz stylings of their previous LPs and the evolving electronic, dancefloor driven fare that would define their subsequent efforts Walking Wounded and Temperamental (1999).
Available July 5th courtesy of Buzzin’ Fly/Chrysalis, the special 180-gram vinyl edition has been mastered at half-speed to maximize audio fidelity, which should delight the eager earbuds of EBTG fans worldwide. Learn more and secure your copy here. And fingers crossed that vinyl editions of Walking Wounded and Temperamental surface soon as well.
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