Temperamental

By David E. Thigpen

Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn put down roots in the New York City and London club scenes a few years ago, after their dance-floor remake of Missing became an international smash. Watt even started manning nightclub turntables. No longer content to be ultra-cool purveyors of trip-hop and jazz-pop, EBTG now adds dance-friendly house beats to its mix. Thorn's magnificently melancholic voice can find its footing anyplace, but some of the beats sound a bit like last year's, and in pop, that's ancient.

--By David E. Thigpen