This beautiful creation and composure from a timeless couple bring excitement and joy to me as a fan of Nothing But The Girl from my 10 years living in England 95-03/04. I was first conscious of Nothing But The Girl when my girl dragged me out on a Sunday afternoon to Notting Hill’s Lazy Dog on Sunday’s DJ sets which became an institution on Sunday afternoons in 2000. This was how my millennium started. From their I was connected with their songs I knew, but I didn’t know the group. I had seen Massive Attack in the 90s, and again in 2001. I was a long time fan especially the song Safe From Harm featuring Tracy’s vocals. So in 2000 I had to catch up, and I did. And I litterally wore out my Lazy Dog CD’s. Where’s the reissue? In Atmos!
Nothing Left to Loose; is the first track on the album. The song is an evolution of English electronic music for 2023, whilst still holding true to the groups style. “What is left to lose? Nothing left to loose!” pause “Kiss me while the world decays. Kiss me while the music plays” is defiantly how I feel this day in April 2023 the album was released as we enter our 2nd year of the Ukrainian invasion, China flying around Taiwan, and North Korea launching long range missiles over Japanese territory. There is a classic baseline in here that I can visualize the muppet Flat Eric spinning a disc at Lazy Dog, whilst the band is playing live. I can see that yellow paw on record, the head bopping. Seriously, YouTube Flat Eric videos, Flat Eric was / is a British icon. The surround mix on my NAD / Polk Legend / Starke Sound 7.4.4 system is totally balanced chilled mix using all speakers with clarity and composure. And when I say composure I’m referring to the track using all channels as if the song was composed for an Atmos recording and not an afterthought. The production team nailed it right off the first track.
‘Run A Red Light’ .. starts with a clear piano in the left side and rear surrounds with programmed electronic effects we have come to know from electronic and lounge acts of the 90s and 2000s from likes of Faithless, Zero 7, Morcheeba, Massive Attack, Radiohead, U2, and so on. But this is no copy. This is uniquely 2023 Everything But The Girl. Instrumentally the album in the first two tracks shows strong maturity and is full of excitement. There’s never a dull moment. The tracks are very well recorded showing of the strengths of my marvellous system leveraging the systems strong balance and dynamic ability. The album is one of the best balanced Atmos mixes I’ve heard.
‘Caution To The Wind’ … starts with another exciting music and vocal sound building to upbeat tempo that has us up dancing at 11am this morning. Am I back in the basement of the Notting Hill Arts Club? Well last summer I was with my son from Canada showing him where we would spend our Sunday afternoons and evenings, and the topic was Ben and Jay. The Atmos effects are subtle, intentional and exciting. It’s perfect Fusion
- “Caution to the wind. Let me in. Let me in. Let me in.” Vulnerability is one of the topics here.
By now the listener knows we are in for an an absolute treat of enjoyment. This isn’t just some album to be listened to this year and filed away.
‘When You Mess Up’ … is a song of wisdom and awareness remind us to not beat ourselves up, forgive ourselves. How ironic this song relates to the book I’m reading, Dr Matte Gabor’s latest book ‘The Myth of Being Normal’. Gabor talks about a new type of trauma as the human race is evolving. When we take responsibility for our actions, but then hold our ‘Mess Ups’ inside us, and instead of forgiving ourselves and processing our pains, we hold them
inside us, not blaming, not defending, owning our shit, but just not processing it. And in return we create trauma.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself.
Don’t think you’re inappropriate.
And don’t just discard your old self.
Your never inappropriate,
In a world of micro-aggressions
Little human transgressions.”
Im still grieving the loss of Maxi Jazz, but in this song ‘When You Mess Up’ I’m reconnected with why I like British musicians who are vulnerable and put it out there. Context is everything!
Time and Time Again … is for you to interpret

I love it!
‘No One Knows We’re Dancing’ is in my belief a tribute to Lazy Dog Sundays DJ sessions at the Notting Hill Arts Club, London in the late 90s to early 2000s. But that’s My Belief, I Don’t Know. There’s a throwback to Fabio, love it. The song gives me a feeling which reminds me of how I felt in my days in the 90s at ‘Slinky’ in Bournemouth, which had a drum and bass room, as well as an excellent main room opera house dance floor.
‘Lost’ … is a song on loss and losing it.
‘Forever’ … is a beautiful Atmos mix. I’d love to hear the deep house 9min remixes of this song. Sister Bliss / Rollo, where are you? Can you do a Faithless remix on this song? I’d like to hear the Flume remix too!!! Like what Flume did to Lorde’s ‘Tennis Court’, fucking amazing! You’ll only find that on YouTube.
‘Interior Space’ … is short and sweet. Lovely instruments slowly and subtlety dance around. I have projections on this songs meaning. He he
‘Karaoke’ … the last song on the album is another unique song and sound true to the bands sound, legacy and evolution. The song leaves me wanting more, and at the same time like the end of a binged Netflix season wanting to explore the next season with new plots and twists, evolved characters, and special effects. And there has to be another season right? There has to be? Please tell me what I want to hear. Lol
To summarize, Everything But The Girls album Fuse is a modern day evolved and matured artistic creation of music and poetry delicately composed of original songs and Atmos contributions by a cleaver team of artists and creators. It oozes passion and creativity and delivers a 2023 contribution to music that fans will play years to come. Every song is unique and this is an album to play from start to finish. This album will be played at dinner parties, restaurants, whilst people study, work, walk the dog, drive, make love, fuck, cry, cook, chill, dance, and show off. And yet it’s not over the top. It’s not boring and it’s not an album where all the songs sound the same. It reminds me of Nothing But The Girl, but it’s Everything Including The Girl.
Thank you Ben. Thank you Tracy. Thank you to all whom contributed and supported and influenced this creation.