AMG Review of Girl Like You

Tim Sendra
All Music Guide

Edwyn Collins made a big splash with his comeback single "A Girl Like You." It basically rocketed him from has-been to is-now and more importantly was a great song. Light and breezy musically, typically tortured lyrically, the song was almost perfect right down to one of Collins best ever vocals. This disc was a tie-in with the Empire Records soundtrack and featured the LP version of "Girl," an acoustic version of "If You Could Love Me" (one of the best songs from Gorgeous George), and two non-LP tracks. The first is a collector's delight, a demo version of one of Collins' first post-Orange Juice singles, the swaggering, hip-shaking "Don't Shilly Shally." The second, "You're on Your Own," is a corrosive ballad with angry vocals and lyrics -- sort of the opposite of "A Girl Like You." This EP is a vital piece of Edwyn Collins history and anyone who digs the man should hunt it down whatever the cost.