Tracey Thorn's solo album sounds pretty much like what it is--a transition from the ramshackle Marine Girls to the much more sophisticated Everything but the Girl. A Distant Shore is a low-key affair, simply played on delicate acoustic and electric guitars. The focal point, of course, is Tracey's voice and it is quite lovely as she ambles her way through eight understated originals and apropos covers of the Velvet Underground's"Femme Fatale" and Cole Porter's "Night & Day." ~ Michael Ribas