Just dug this one out #27 - Tracey Thorn - A Distant Shore

Yesterday we were watching an episode of The Simpsons where Homer was driving his family home, the car was covered in dust and Marge suggested that they get it washed but Homer chooses to ignore her. Just then Lenny pulls up alongside and suggests that Homer wash his car and Homer swerves into the nearest car wash.

Anyway, Hazel owns Tracey Thorn's A Distant Shore and has done for many years and for all of those years I've skipped past it whenever I see it because...well...you know...Everything But the Girl...she may even have suggested at some point that I give it a listen but I suspect was treated to a Homeric snort or shrug. Last week Alistair Fitchett on his Unpopular blog wrote about A Distant Shore in his "20 albums that changed my life" series. Given that other entries in that series had included Galaxie 500, The Velvet Underground, The Kinks, Belle and Sebastian and The Go Betweens and included three albums that featured in my list I decided that the time was right to give Tracey a chance.

The album is short but stunningly sweet, beautiful in places. Simply arranged with guitar strums and Tracey Thorn's voice, its an album I wanted to be alone with and one that required an immediate second, and then a third listen.

So thanks Unpopular for exposing me to this...oh and Hazel......