Everything But the Girl

Adapt or Die: Ten Years of Remixes is a half-accurate title for this discerning compilation of Everything but the Girl's commissioned mixes. It actually entails 15 years of remixes, spanning from the dawn of the '90s through 2004. (To be fair, the four remixes performed since 1999 were done specifically for this set.) "Adapt or Die" is, however, an ideal way to indicate the duo's approach to remaining relevant to club music for such an extended period of time. These tracks also show that keeping up with trends in dance doesn't always have to be at the expense of timelessness. No matter how reliant upon a bygone trend a remix might be, a song remains somewhere in the core. This is one of the best remix compilations released by a contemporary pop group, not only because there's such a deep pool of strong material to choose from. As opposed to most like-themed packages, Adapt or Die works as a flowing album, not just a collection of tracks slapped onto a disc. For all the hopping between house, trip-hop, drum 'n' bass, and contemporary R&B, the transitions are remarkably smooth. Most of the previously released selections won't be foreign to fans, but the new and previously unreleased versions -- including some hot turns from King Britt and DJ Jazzy Jeff -- should be very significant enticements for anyone remotely interested. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide